The King and Her Queen
by Cyberano
Summary: [Rin x Saber] A twisted tale of Arturian romance.   The story is written as a continuation to the anime and not the game scenarios.
1. Chapter 1

The King and Her Queen

Chapter 1: One long summer

A summer breeze played with her hair as she gazed down at the green valley below. There was a farmstead here and there, and she could see workers milling about as they drove their orange harvesters in neat horizontal stripes across the field. Just beyond, mountains circled the valley protectively, and their peaks reaching, but not quite touching the sapphire blue sky. Patches of white dots graced the lower mountain slopes like white lichen on tree roots. As usual, the shepherds have let their flocks out to graze.

As she gazed down at the valley below, a sigh escaped her lips. If only she had more free time, she could have enjoyed this moment more often. Living here in this green valley had been peaceful and refreshing compared to her chaotic high school years. But today marked the end of her time in this place of learning. "One must always move toward the future." she said to herself. She raised her face to meet the rays of the shining sun. "Isn't that right, Father?" The question was left unanswered as her eyes followed a brown speck that soared across the sky.

"Hey, Rin..." A young man's voice jolted her out of her reverie. "So this is where you are." The wind played with his reddish hair as he sauntered over to stand next to her. His eyes followed the landscape. "It's too bad, isn't it? We can't take this with us."

"Since you're here, dear apprentice, I take it that you're ready to start packing?" Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she glanced at Emiya Shiro. Due to his amazing growth spurt, the gangly teenager had grown into a nicely built young man. But for a magician, size mattered not; only skill. She watched with amusement as his face broke into that familiar grimace whenever she pulled rank.

"I'm not your apprentice anymore, Rin. That was a long time ago. Besides, I graduated too, didn't I?"

She had to give him credit for that. The boy spent many hours to catch up to students who had studied magic since they learned to read. Although he managed to achieve passing marks, Rin could not resist teasing him about the time he slaved under her tutelage. She flicked her hand toward the dorms with an air of mock solemnity. "Couldn't you at least help a lady in need?"

Shiro sighed. "Do you really want me touching YOUR stuff, Rin?"

"You can pack the books."

Shiro groaned. Rin had a lot of books. "All right, fine." His broad shoulders drooped as he turned toward the dorms.

"Let's get started then." said Rin as she fell in step with Shiro. After a few steps, she paused and looked back at the valley below. "Shiro was right... we can't take this with us." she thought. As she walked back to the dorms, she realized that she already missed the valley.

People swarmed about the dorms like bees around a beehive. Various luggage and furniture were being moved from the dorms into cars, trucks and even curiously antique carriages that were no doubt enchanted by someone with an archaic sense of style. Rin and Shiro dodged their way through the quadrangle and made it safely to her room. She opened the door and Shiro groaned again. He went looking for her because he wanted to treat her out to brunch to thank her for all her help last semester. Brunch would have to wait. Sullenly, he accepted the boxes that Rin handed him and set out to accomplish his task.

Meanwhile, Rin began to sort her closet and to empty its contents into several chests. The chests began to fill up, and soon, her eyebrows knitted with consternation when she realized that the closet's content gauge mislead her to believe she had less stuff. "Shiro."

"Yeah?"

"I need three more chests from Tayson's." She held out several bills to Shiro.

"Three? How am I supposed to carry them back?"

"Oh, very well..." She glanced over her chests and grabbed a pair of bracers. "Wear these. You can stack three of them and carry them."

He took the money and bracers. He looked at the bracers doubtfully. "Gee, Rin, you should've started packing earlier, you know..."

She glared at him and the air around him seemed to warm up. "Ok, ok... I'm going."

Rin watched Shiro leave and continued to sort her things. She pulled out a brown box and opened it to view its contents. Underneath the tissue wrap was a blue ribbon, a white shirt and a blue skirt. Her eyes widened with nostalgia as she remembered. Her mouth formed a name as she held the shirt on her lap.

"Saber..."

-------

Shiro struggled up the steps of the dorm towards Rin's room. The bracers had begun to disintegrate since he entered the quadrangle. With a last burst of strength he sprinted up the steps and let go of the chests when he reached the platform of the fifth floor. The bracers turned into ash and spilled onto the floor. "Dammit, she coulda warned me about the time limit." He pushed the chests to Rin's room and opened the door. He found her staring out the window. "Hey, I got the chests... you can keep packing now."

She appeared not to hear him. Shiro took a few steps forward. "Umm... Rin... I got the chests..."

"I've decided..."

"Huh?"

"I think I'll stay here for the summer."

"What!? But isn't our flight at 9 pm tonight?"

"I'll change my departure date." Rin looked at him with a smile that curved up the right side of her face only. Shiro felt a prickling at the back of his neck. "You might want to do the same too... after you hear me out."

He swallowed visibly. That smile can only mean one thing. She was up to something, and it was very possible that he would be involved. His shoulders drooped again as he settled himself on one of the many boxes of packed books. "What is it?"

-------

"That's crazy!" exclaimed Shiro. The entire idea was just too insane to fathom.

"We won't know unless we try." Rin leaned back in her armchair and interlaced her fingers. Her smile faded as her face grew serious. "At least, I want to try."

Shiro stood up and walked over to the window. He turned his back to her and gazed outside. Rin watched his back in silence. She had thought that he would agree with her immediately, but this time, she might be wrong.

"Shiro... I don't need an answer right now. I'm not even sure how to proceed, so I'll be doing some research first." She paused as she ran through some estimates in her head. "I need at least two weeks to make a plan. You can let me know by then."

Shiro remained silent as he crossed his arms. She watched him silently as she twiddled her thumbs.

Finally, he spoke, "You're really serious about this, aren't you?"

Her lips tugged to a crooked smile. "And since when haven't I been serious about this stuff?"

"What's your real goal, Rin?" He turned his head enough to see her out of the corner of his eye. "If you're gonna change history, I won't let you."

"I'm not going to do that! All sorts of repercussion could happen." Rin glared at Shiro.

Shiro turned to fully face Rin. "Then why do it? You don't know how to do it. And even if you do, all sorts of things could go wrong."

"Right now, I admit that I don't know how. But I still want to try. I just feel... that I have to try. No, if I don't try it, I just know that I'm going to regret not trying it."

"That doesn't sound like you. You always weigh the risks and rewards. Your idea just now... it just sounds too plain risky." Shiro turned to the window again. "Besides... I thought we put all of that behind us."

Rin considered for a moment. "Is it really?" While she waited for a reply, her eyes rested on the white shirt and blue skirt lying on top of the chest. A feeling of nostalgia swept over her again.

"If we pull this off, what are you going to do when we get there?"

She tilted her head sideways. Her usually fast thinking mind drew a blank. She smiled sheepishly. "Good question. I'm not sure..."

"Eh?"

"I'll decide when I get there."

"Geez, if you're not gonna do anything, why bother doing it? You should just give up the idea. Besides, weren't you supposed to look at that internship at Furisame? They seemed real interested in..."

Shiro's words were filtered out when her mind latched on to what he said earlier. "You said 'we'. So you're in, right?"

"and it seems like a nice pl-... what?" stalled Shiro.

Rin wagged her forefinger at Shiro. "You said, 'If WE pull this off...'"

"I did, but I didn't say I'd do it!"

She smiled winsomely. "Then why say 'we'? It already means that you've decided, right?"

"Well, if you're really serious, you'd do it even if I don't help. What if you get into trouble, or even worse, get hurt? How am I supposed to live with that?"

Rin stood up and patted his cheek. "You're such a nice boy." She quickly turned about and began to sort things again. "Well then, now that that's settled, I gotta finish packing."

Shiro sighed. "You really are serious." His eyes fell on the white shirt and blue skirt on top of the chest. He went over and knelt down to hold the shirt up. "This... is hers, right?"

"Yeah..." replied Rin. "I must've packed it when I left your house."

Shiro ran his hand on the fabric. "It was tough back then. But I..." He fell silent.

"Miss it?"

"... yeah... a bit."

"Me too." She paused her sorting. "Y'know, you got to say goodbye to her. I didn't get a chance to."

He looked up. "Is that why you're gonna do this?"

"Hmmm. Maybe... I really am not sure why... I'll figure it out along the way. Besides..." Rin deposited a pair of scales in a nearby chest. "Do you have other plans?"

"No... not really... Do you?"

"Nothing that interests me more than this. I figure, since we're here, we might as well use the school's library. And it'll be easy to investigate historical sites. Unfortunately, new students will be assigned to these dorms this summer. We'll have to apply for graduate housing. And you'll have to get a job with a professor so they'll approve our request."

"Me? What'll you be doing?"

"Research, of course." Rin said solemnly and then broke into raucous laughter. "The look on your face is too much!" She composed herself. "Don't worry. I'll help too. Master Wilter needs some help creating a new batch of potions for next semester's class. And Master Grynberg needs help with his fields. The roving mandrakes are out of control. You like the outdoors, right?"

Shiro covered his face with his hands. "Not enough to work with Grynberg! There must be something else!"

"I'm sure of it. But it's a fallback job, if you can't find anything." Rin closed a chest and locked it. "After I send these to storage, I'll ask the Housing Director if there's anything open in graduate housing."

She picked up a box and checked its contents. Her eyes light up with delight. "Now, for an impromptu celebration..." She brought out two goblets from the box. "Instant toast goblets." She handed one to Shiro. "Here's to our graduation!"

They clicked their goblets once and the enchanted globets filled with liquid. Rin downed hers in an instant. Shiro took a quick gulp and spat the liquid back into the goblet.

"Rin! This tastes like vinegar!"

"Oh..." said Rin. And then she rubbed the back of her head with her hand and sheepishly said, "Sorry... it was on sale."

Shiro hung his head down in exasperation. He had a bad feeling that his was going to be one long summer.


	2. Chapter 2

The King and Her Queen

Chapter 2: The Lady of the Lake

Somehow, it had come to this. Shiro still could not believe how far they had come. Despite all his misgivings, somehow, the pieces just steadily fell into place as they tried to reach their goal. There were times that their research reached a dead end. But some way or another, something cropped up to put them on another lead. It was as if some invisible force was lending a hand. If there was such a thing as karma, then Rin must have done something good in the past.

When he first heard of Rin's idea, the concept seemed simple, but the execution seemed impossible. Rin's words echoed in his mind as he took his place on the glowing arcane glyphs. "The servants were summoned here by magic, right? What if we can reverse that process; i.e. 'summon' ourselves to where they were in space and time?"

He watched apprehensively as Rin finished the last glyph. The arcane circle was complete. Rin walked over and took her place in the circle.

"So... are you ready?" Rin smiled slightly. "I really appreciate you coming this far with me. If... if you don't want to do this, I'll understand."

"Geez, Rin! Why are you saying this now?" said Shiro with mock exasperation. He held out his calloused hands. "I didn't do all that work just to let you reap the benefits. I'm with you on this one. No matter what."

"Thanks." Rin smiled widely.

Shiro felt that this was one of the few smiles that Rin gave from the heart. The sight of it eased his anxiety a little bit.

Rin raised her hands. "Shall we begin?"

"Un." nodded Shiro.

Rin wove her hands and chanted the incantation. Shiro swept his eyes across the landscape around them. The lake shimmered like silver under the bright sun. Above the distant hills, a lone eagle glided across the clear sky. Above them, the willow trees bent their crooked branches to give them shade. Here and there, small irises waved in the gentle breeze as if to bade them farewell. As Rin started the last stanza of the incantation, Shiro hoped that whatever luck had led them here would bring them back as well.

Finally, Rin drew the last glyph in the air with her finger and spoke the activation spell word. The arcane circle burst into a cacophy of light and energy. Shiro unconsciously balled his hands into fists. As the landscape faded into the light, he wished with all his being. "Please let us find you... Saber..."

---------

Rin floated in a dimensionless space filled with light. She could not tell which way was up. But her honed magical senses alerted her that the spell was nearly complete. It was do or die. Rin adjusted her body slightly and prepared a levitation spell just in case they materialized too high from the ground. Then the spell faded into darkness. Rin's first sensation was pressure and a dull ache in her ears. An attempt to breathe resulted in an unpleasant sensation in her sinuses. The horrible realization caused her to panic. They were underwater. She flailed for a moment and noticed a dull light coming from above. Holding her breath, she swam upwards toward the light. Soon, she could see the surface of the water. She reached out her arm as if to grasp her way to safety. As her arm broke through the water's surface, something cold landed on her hand. Her hand closed on reflex, thinking that it might be something that could help her float. Instead, her arm drew backward and sank back into the water. She turned to see what it was. It was a sword. Her fingers loosened to let go of such a heavy object, but her mind emerged from its panicked state to identify the sword. She willed her left hand to grab the hilt as the sword began to slip from her grip. Now with both hands on the hilt, she kicked upwards again to get some air. Her muscles and lungs burned as she attempted to reach the surface. She felt something slide around her waist. She looked down and saw a yellow inflatable tube around her. Shiro was nearby in a similar tube. Rin grabbed the tube gratefully with her left hand and together they broke through the surface gasping for air.

"Haaah... haah... Th- thanks, Shiro. Haaahh... You saved me."

"Haaah... yeah... haaah... no problem... haaahh..."

After swallowing several lungfuls of air, Rin held up her right hand. "Hey... check it out..."

Shiro's eyes grew wide. "Where'd you get that?!"

"Found it."

"No! Seriously..."

"It just fell into my hand."

Shiro gaped at her, speechless. When he finally found his voice, he growled, "Rin... don't tease me..."

"Hey! I really did!" Rin put forth her most serious face and menacing tone. "Think about it! If this is the lake where Bedivere threw the sword back, where's Saber?"

In his mind, Shiro quickly scanned through his research on the legend of King Arthur. His eyes grew in alarm. "He threw the sword back, because Arthur asked him to. Rin, we have to find Saber fast!" Shiro thrust out his hands and an outline began to form from it.

"Hey! Wait a sec!" cried Rin. They had agreed to conserve mana for the return trip. Even as Rin kicked toward Shiro, she knew it was too late to stop him. However, when he finished, Rin had to admit that she was impressed. "A jet ski!?"

"Yeah..." Shiro hauled himself onto the seat and reached out towards Rin. Rin grabbed his hand and climbed up to sit behind him. She pulled off the tube and was about to throw it away when Shiro stopped her. "Don't. We might need it..."

"C'mon, Shiro! We don't need it anymore. Besides, we're too old to be using rubber ducky tubes." Then something dawned on her. "Hey, if you could make something like this, why didn't you make a life vest or something?"

"..." Shiro turned away from her. "It was reflex, okay? It was the first thing I could think of!"

Rin noticed that Shiro's ears turned red. One side of her mouth curved up to a lopsided smile. "Fine... I'll hold yours and let's go."

Shiro revved the engine and headed toward the shore. Meanwhile, Rin sealed Excalibur and cast a masking spell. When they were halfway to the shore, Shiro turned left.

"Umm... can you sense her?" asked Rin.

"Yeah... sort of. I feel a slight pull."

Rin hoped that Shiro was right. Finally, they were almost at the shore. However, the jet ski was still moving too fast to get off.

"Hey... we're moving too fast..." Rin grabbed Shiro's arm.

"Oh, sorry." The jet ski slowed down, but showed no signs of stopping. Rin gripped Shiro's arm tighter. Shiro only replied, "Yeah, it might be a good idea to hold on."

"Eh?" Rin felt the jet ski scrape the sandy bank near the shore. Rin cried out in alarm, "Shiro!"

"Just a sec..."

The jet ski became semi-transparent and its lines began to morph into a different shape. Rin readied herself to jump off when her seat didn't feel solid anymore, but she didn't have to as the jet ski transformed into a stout dirt bike. It took several moments before the shock was replaced with awe as they sped across a field. "Pretty impressive, Shiro..." thought Rin.

They continued across a meadow and went up a hill. At the top of the hill, they were appalled at the grisly scene before them. There was no doubt that a gruesome battle had taken place. Shiro was so shocked that he stopped the bike. Rin covered her mouth to control herself from retching while Shiro gripped the handlebars angrily. After a moment, Shiro turned the bike around so that the battlefield was behind them. "Let's keep going." he said.

Rin nodded and they went around the battlefield. They rode across a small meadow and into a forest. Eventually, they came unto a leaf-strewn path. The soil and leaves on the path were torn up in a stream of patches. Rin and Shiro shared a glance as each came to the same conclusion that someone on horseback rode here recently.

"Let's get off the bike." suggested Rin. "We shouldn't be seen on it."

Shiro nodded and dispelled the bike and the tubes. They continued cautiously along the path until they saw a grassy clearing about thirty feet ahead.

"She's close..." whispered Shiro.

Suddenly, the silence of the forest was broken by a deep, resonant command.

"Halt!"

Shiro and Rin stopped in the middle of the path. A tall knight stood where the path ended at the edge of the clearing. The knight's flaxen yellow hair was braided in the same way as Saber's except for a pair of braids held in place by a pair of silver cylinders. A gloved hand rested on the pommel of a sheathed sword. The knight held a red shield that had a bronze bar with 3 fleur de lis on the top half of the shield. A sword with its tip pointed down adorned the bottom half of the shield.

"Art thou friend or foe?"

Rin gasped in surprise. She wasn't sure then, but she is sure now. She cleared her throat and took one step. The knight slid her hand onto the handle. Slightly alarmed, Rin replied haltingly, "We come in peace... Sir Bedivere. We mean no harm." Rin faltered at the salutation, since she did not know if Bedivere should be addressed as 'Lady' or as 'Sir'. She settled on 'Sir' since Bedivere was a knight.

"Thy speech... seemst not common." Bedivere's eyes narrowed. "Yet thou knowst me by sight. Who art thou truly? Art ye Mordred's spyes? Speak plainly, lest I yield to grimly means for thy truth."

Rin swallowed visibly and thought fast, then spoke quickly. "We art travelers, Sir. And have traveled far. Thus thy tongue is not our own. But thy prowess is well known in our land." Rin gestured her hands extravagantly. "I recognized thee by thy device on thy shield." Rin smiled as charmingly as she possibly could. Beside her, she could sense Shiro gathering his will. She could only hope that Bedivere would buy her story and that she and Shiro wouldn't be forced to do something rash.

"And from which land that thou hast hailed from?"

She did not expect Bedivere to ask that. A drop of sweat trickled down the side of her forehead. "It is the land just beyond the eastern seas." As soon as she said that, she felt a sense of dread wash over her. On instinct, she curled her middle, ring and small fingers and straightened her index finger to form a pointing hand.

Bedivere's face darkened. "So ye art spyes! Saxon spyes!" Bedivere advanced toward them and drew her sword as she approached. "Before I banish thee from this kingdom, know that thy kind art not ---"

A black bolt of energy struck Bedivere on the chest and she collapsed face down on the path.

"Rin! What did you do?!"

Rin lowered her pointing finger and observed Bedivere for any sign of consciousness. "Don't worry. I didn't use full power. It'll only knock her out for a bit. She'll feel a little sick when she wakes up though. Can you carry her off the path?"

Shiro resheathed the sword. He put Bedivere's arm over his shoulder and put his arm around her waist. "Ugh... she's heavy. Yeah... I think I can."

Rin took the other arm and lifted the shield. "Ohmigod... it must be the armor."

Together, they half dragged Bedivere into the clearing. When they entered the clearing their eyes rested on the large tree at the opposite side of the clearing. There, resting under its shade, was Saber.

Quickly, they laid Bedivere on the grass and ran to Saber's side. Rin felt her forehead and her pulse.

"Is she...?"

"... no... she's not all dead... just mostly dead..."

"Mostly?! Can you save her?"

"Yeah... I think so... Help me take off her armor."

After they removed her armor, a thought occurred to Rin. "Now go over there and stay with Bedivere. Or better yet, take the time to change your clothes. Just don't look over here."

Shiro bore a confused expression on his face, but he obeyed. He walked over to Bedivere and selected a thicket to change his damp clothes.

Rin unbuttoned Saber's tunic. When she finally undid the tunic, she was horrified at the sight of the bloody bandages and serrated flesh. An initial scan indicated broken ribs, severe internal bleeding and several ruptured organs. She steeled her resolve and reached into her pack for medical supplies and her pouch of jewels. Rin worked steadily as she removed the crude bandages and attended to each broken bone and wound. She had anticipated the possibility of treating Saber's injuries, but her imagination did not even come close to the severity of her injuries. Rin grew a bit apprehensive when she went over her estimated jewel allotment for this treatment. As jewel after jewel was used, Rin bit her lip. There would be fewer jewels to use for the return trip. She entertained the possibility of doing enough to keep her in a coma. But a part of her reviled the idea. "Either I will have all of her or none!" she thought. With her determination renewed, she set out to finish her task.

At last, she bandaged the last wound and chanted the spell to help it heal. She pulled the tunic close. Then she leaned against the nearest tree. She closed her eyes and sighed. She should be safe now. She glanced over to Saber. Something was not quite right. Her skin color was still a shade of gray. She knelt over her and passed her hand over her body for a scan. Her heart skipped a beat when she discovered that the bile spilled from her organs was polluting her bloodstream. Even worse, Saber had lost a lot of blood. Rin cursed herself for not noticing. She took out the ceremonial dagger that she got during graduation and drew it from its sheath. She used the tip of the dagger to etch glyphs on the skin of Saber's palms. Rin gritted her teeth as she etched similar glyphs on the skin of her palms. She dropped the dagger and straddled Saber. She quickly interlaced her hands with her and chanted the spell to perform a blood cleansing. When the spell activated, Rin stifled a cry of pain as Saber's blood flowed into her left hand while a mixture of her own blood and her purified blood flowed out of her right hand. Rin's body sagged and she tried to balance herself on her knees and elbows. Already, she could feel goosebumps all over her body.

"I'm going to break out in hives after this..." thought Rin as she panted heavily. She licked her lips and tasted something bitter in her mouth. She spat out a curse. There was some sort of toxin in Saber's bloodstream. She hoped that it was something she could deal with. "I'm in for a bad time..." grimaced Rin as she gritted her teeth while her innards began to ache.

"Uh... Rin... are you done?" asked Shiro from a distance.

"Don't look..." said Rin hoarsely.

"I'm not looking. Just... just wanted to know if you're finished."

"No... ask me later."

Her body temperature had risen drastically and beads of sweat began to form her brow. She swallowed the bitter taste in her throat and concentrated on keeping the spell going. After a few minutes, Rin felt like retching again.   
"Ugh..." thought Rin. "I don't think I can go on much longer..." Rin shifted her grip slightly. "I'm sorry, Saber... I hope that this was enough..." she mumbled.

As if in reply, Saber's eyes opened slightly. Her green eyes seemed to focus on Rin's face. Rin gasped in surprise. As she was about to call out to her, she was interrupted by Saber's hoarse whisper, "Guinevere...?"

Rin's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. She stared back at Saber's sleepy face and watched as she drew a shallow breath through her trembling lips. Then she smiled slightly and closed her eyes. Alarmed, Rin drew close and positioned her ear near Saber's nose and mouth. "Thank God... she's breathing better now..." said Rin with a sigh of relief. She released her grip on Saber's hands and rolled over to lie next to her. Her exhausted body was coaxing her to sleep. Rin shook her head slightly in an attempt to keep herself awake. There were things that still needed to be done. "Shiro... come over here."

Shiro came over and took one look at Saber. "Damn... she looks pretty bad."

"Yeah... tell me about it..."

Shiro's gaze shifted to Rin. "Rin! You look awful! What happened?" His eyes rested on Saber's upturned palm. "Did you use that spell?" Shiro asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Yeah... s'okay... I'll get over it..." Already, she could feel the itchy rashes forming on her skin.

"Is she okay?"

"She's stable... for now. I think there's some sort of poison in her body."

Shiro knelt next to Saber and put his hand over her palm. "Trace on... analyze composition..." Shiro moved his other hand over her wounds. His brows knitted in anger. "Dirty bastards! There was poison on their weapons!" Shiro stood up. "Wait here... I think I could make something for it. I'll be right back."

Before Rin could reply, Shiro left. Despite her exhaustion, Rin pushed herself up on an elbow and looked at Saber. Then her gaze moved over to Bedivere who was lying at the opposite end of the clearing. To her alarm, Bedivere shifted her head to the right and moaned. Rin prayed that Shiro would come back soon. It would not be long until Bedivere regained consciousness. They must think of a plan before then.

About ten minutes later, Shiro came back with a bunch of flowers. "I could do this the quick way or the long way. The long way will take about twenty minutes."

Rin thought for a moment to consider Saber's condition. "She's a bit stable now. We can take the time to make the antidote. However..." Rin gestured to Bedivere. "Bedivere's gonna wake up soon. We have to move somewhere else and make the antidote there." Rin stood up and leaned against the tree for support.

Shiro watched her curiously. "Rin... how do you feel?"

"Sleepy and a bit stiff. Why?"

The corners of Shiro's mouth drooped. "I'm sorry to say this, Rin. I think you're poisoned too. Drowsiness is one of the symptoms of Belladona poisoning. It also attacks the nervous system and causes numbness and paralysis."

"Oh, great..." muttered Rin. "Hey, how do you know it's Belladona?"

"Grynberg likes to talk a lot while he works." Shiro put the flowers down and went over to Rin. "I guessed I picked up a little bit from him." He put his hand over Rin's palm. "Trace on..." After a few moments, Shiro sighed with relief. "It's not as bad as Saber's. But you'll have to take the antidote too."

Rin nodded. "Let's get out of here. I'll tell you my idea and you can tell me how to make the antidote." Rin slowly reached over and shouldered her pack. "Can you carry Saber?"

"Yeah. Give me a second." Shiro put the flowers in his pack and slipped his backpack on. Then he knelt next to Saber and carefully lifted her into his arms.

Together, they left the clearing to locate a suitable thicket. On the way, Rin told Shiro about her idea on how to deal with Bedivere. After hearing it, Shiro balked at the thought of executing Rin's plan by himself, but he could not think of any alternative, and so he agreed to do it. Finally, they found an adequate thicket. Shiro laid Saber on Rin's sleeping bag and then instructed Rin on how to prepare the antidote from the bulbs of the flowers.

"Well... I'm off." Shiro picked up a bundle of clothes wrapped in a towel.

"Have fun." replied Rin. "I have the utmost faith in you."

"Gee... thanks. That makes me feel so much confident." said Shiro with a hint of sarcasm.

"You'll do fine. You're a magician, right? So go out there and show your stuff!"

Shiro straightened up a bit. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"You better. Someone has to check if the antidote is good."

Shiro smiled. "Yeah, I will. Later..." With a small salute, Shiro exited the thicket.

Rin sat still for a few moments and then yawned. "I better get started on that antidote before I fall asleep." she thought. Rin reached for the flowers and the tin pan. "I hope the plan works out."

-----------

Bedivere woke up with a start and berated herself for collapsing. She looked about her anxiously to ensure that they were still safe. Reassured, she knelt beside her king. She took off her right glove and felt for a pulse on Arturia's wrist. She sighed with relief. It was not too late.

"Milord... I hath the strangest dream. In it, I beheld a tall maid appareled in splendid guise rise from yonder lake. Deep forest green eyes adorned her bronze face while fairy scarlet locks framed that elegant visage. Might it be the Lady of the Lake as such as thou spake?"

Bedivere paused for a moment to regard her king. "Ah, forgive mine idle prattle, Milord... so earnest was I in telling thee mine dream that I overlooked thy slumber. Pray that thou pardon me once more."

Bedivere gently lifted Arturia into her arms and was surprised that she seemed heavier than before. She grunted as she carefully positioned Arturia foremost on the saddle of her horse, Haut. Then she mounted Haut and sat behind Arturia. "Pardon mine weariness, Milord. I fear the battle hath taken mine strength." She gazed fondly at Arturia as she cradled her in her arms. "Thou sleepst like a log. Thy dream must be most enthralling."

She spurred Haut towards the direction of the lake. "If the Lady in mine dream spake true, then thy wounds can be attended to in most haste. Until then, please endure this brief journey." She patted Haut's side. "Fly like the wind, Haut." With a slap, she urged Haut to a gallop.

Bedivere tried to minimize the amount of disturbance that the ride would cause to Arturia and let Haut gallop as fast as she dared. When they reached the shores of the lake, she dismounted and carried Arturia in her arms once more. Over the lake hung an unusual fog which was not there when she threw the sword. Out of habit, she looked about to spot any possible threats. Once assured, she ventured towards the lake until its waters lapped at her boots.

She peered into the fog apprehensively. To her delight, she discerned a shape coalesce from within the fog. With great anticipation, her eyes followed an unmanned boat as it glided away from the fog and toward them. The boat stopped about fifteen feet from where she stood.

"Tis just as the Lady saith, Milord." she said as she waded into thigh deep water. "Fret not. The Lady saith that this boat will carry thee to Avalon. There, the Lady shall minister to thy wounds." She laid Arturia unto the satin cushioned cot in the boat.

"Aggrieved am I, that by the Lady's behest, I am not permitted to accompany thee." She reached over and caressed Arturia's cheek. "When thou art well, come unto us in all haste. I will await thy return." Then she bent down and kissed her gently on the lips. She stared at Arturia's face for a moment before whispering, "Fare thee well, Arturia, and farewell."

Bedivere drew away and the boat slowly departed into the fog. She watched until she could no longer see its outline. She stood for a few moments and turned to her horse. As she stepped onto the sandy shore of the lake, her steps began to falter and her body slouched forward. Eventually, she fell upon her knees. Then with a great shudder emanating from her very core, she expelled a cry of grief and wept.

Inside the fog, Shiro was startled by a distant cry. He quickly cancelled the transfiguration spell on the log and tipped the boat to let it sink. He carefully swam to the edge of the fog and focused his gaze at the hunched figure near the shore. His ears caught the sound of faint weeping. For a few moments, he watched mournfully from the edge of the fog. A part of him wanted to go over to Bedivere and console her. He steeled his resolve and swam in the opposite direction of where Bedivere was.


	3. Chapter 3

The King and Her Queen

Chapter 3: The Awakening

Shiro parted the tangled branches and entered the thicket. Rin was hugging her knees and was resting her head on them. He noticed that she had changed out of her damp clothes and into medieval clothing. She wore a reddish brown open-fronted gown which laced closed across a white kirtle.

He nudged her shoulder. "Hey, I'm back."

Rin didn't answer, so Shiro shook her shoulder slightly. Suddenly, Rin scrambled away and pointed her index finger. He backed away from her line of fire. "Rin! It's just me!"

Rin's eyes focused on him and she lowered her hand. "Oh, sorry." She dusted her clothes and stood up slowly. "How'd it go?"

"Ok... I guess..." Shiro went over to the boiling pan and sampled the brown liquid with the ladle.

"You guess...? Did something happen?"

"Well... I didn't expect her to cry. I thought that she'd be happy that Saber was gonna get cured."

Rin thought for a moment. "Yeah... that is strange... Do you think she suspects that something's wrong?"

Shiro stirred the liquid idly. "Don't know... I couldn't tell. But she seemed convinced about the Lady of the Lake."

"Hmmm..." Rin rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Oh well... what's done is done. How's the antidote?"

"It's ready." Shiro took out two cups from his pack. He poured a third of the liquid in one cup and the rest in the next. He handed the cup with less liquid to Rin. "Sip this over the next hour. Don't drink it all at once."

Rin took the cup and blew on the liquid to cool it down. She took a sip. "Gaaahhh... it's really bitter..." Rin took out a bottle of water from her pack and drank enough to wash away the bitter taste.

Meanwhile, Shiro cooled some liquid on the ladle and tried to put the liquid into Saber's mouth. The liquid spilled over the corner of her mouth. Shiro attempted a few more times before turning to Rin. "Rin... she's not swallowing it."

"Here, let me try." Rin knelt next to Saber and took the ladle. She didn't have much success either.

"Oh, great... looks like one of us would have to give it to her orally." said Rin with an exasperated tone.

"Orally... as in...?" He pointed to his mouth.

Rin nodded. "If you have a better idea, I'm listening."

Shiro hung his head. "No, not really."

They sat there for a few moments in silence. Finally, Rin spoke. "Go ahead and give it to her. You like her, don't you?"

Shiro blushed and protested, "I can't do that... She might not like it."

"Oh? And why should I be any different?"

"Because... because..." Shiro turned away slightly. "She may not mind if another girl kissed her."

Rin was taken aback and her jaw dropped. She moved her mouth but no words came out. When she composed herself, she said slowly, "Why do you think so?"

Shiro swallowed and told her about what Bedivere did after she put Saber on the boat. Rin's eyes widened and her hand involuntarily covered her mouth. All sorts of scenarios were running amuck in her mind. She forced her inner self to gather those images and lock them in a closet.

She looked at Shiro coolly. "So, you want me to give it to her?"

"No... I mean... yes..." Shiro covered his face with his hands in embarrassment.

Rin took the ladle. "Tell you what... we'll take turns. As long as she doesn't wake up, it's fine right? I won't tell if you won't."

Shiro nodded dumbly. Rin bent over and used her hand to prop Saber's head up. Then she quickly slurped the liquid and pressed her mouth against Saber's.

On contact, a jolt tickled her spine and her body shuddered for a brief instant. Surprised at her own reaction, she stayed still for a second. Then, remembering her task, she parted Saber's lips with her tongue and delivered the liquid into her mouth. She maintained her position until she felt Saber swallow the liquid.

Rin drew away and laid Saber's head gently on the pillow. Her face and body felt warm. She kept her head low and handed the ladle to Shiro. "You're up." She took her own cup and walked away.

Rin continued to ponder why she reacted that way until she absentmindedly sipped the liquid in her cup. She fought to control her gag reflex and forced herself to swallow. Rin turned around towards Shiro. "Can't you do something about the taste?"

Shiro wiped Saber's mouth with a piece of tissue. "Grynberg says that the best medicine is best taken in its purest form. So... do you want to get well or not?"

Rin muttered darkly under her breath. She surveyed their meager hideout. "I think we should try to find a better place for Saber's recovery. I don't mind the great outdoors, but I won't prescribe it for someone with grave injuries. Maybe one of us should go look around for a nearby town. What do you think?"

Shiro nodded and stood up. "Sounds like a good idea. I'll go. You gotta get some rest too." He paused before the exit of the thicket. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to have medieval money, do you?"

Rin's face fell. "Darn it! I knew I forgot something. We should've shaken down Bedivere for some."

"Rin!"

"Just kidding!" joked Rin, holding up her hand. "But you know what, maybe you could shake down someone else..."

Shiro stared at Rin for a bit before her implied meaning hit him. "That's gross, Rin! I'm not touching any corpses."

"Yeah... it is, isn't it?" laughed Rin nervously. "We'll figure something out. Anyway, come back with good news."

"Yup, I will." With that, Shiro headed out.

Rin sat next to Saber and prepared to administer the antidote for Saber and herself. As she repeated the procedure over the next two hours, she kept wondering why she was reacting so unusually. "It's probably just a side effect of the spell." she reasoned. She felt a little tired, so she put the cup down and lay down on the ground next to Saber with her pack as a pillow. She closed her eyes and tried to meditate.

---------------

"Rin... Rin..."

She slowly opened her eyes to see Shiro looking down on her.

"So how's sleeping beauty?" said Shiro with a teasing tone.

Rin managed a drowsy grin. "Fine..." She yawned. "Drat... I must've dozed off." She sat up slowly. "So... what've you found?"

"There's a village about three miles away and another about five miles away."

"That's a bit far."

"Don't worry. I found some horses."

"You did?! Where did you find them?"

"They were wandering around. My guess is that they belonged to some knight who probably won't need it anymore."

Rin felt a stab of pity and remembered that bloody field. "A shame..." She looked up to Shiro. "How many horses do you have?"

"Three, one for each of us."

"Hmmm... at the moment, I don't think Saber could ride. One of us will have to ride with her. Do you think you can handle that? I think I'm still a little stiff."

"Yeah. That I can do." Shiro grinned heartily and was glad that he could be of help.

"Is there a place we can stay in the next village?"

"Yes, it has an inn. It's 50 coppers a night."

"Let's check it out. We can sell one of the horses to get a bit of cash."

"Good idea."

Shiro showed Rin the horses. They examined the equipment on the horses and decided what to keep and what to sell. They return to the thicket and put a cloak on Saber to keep her warm. Then they packed up the campsite and headed for the next village. At the market, they managed to sell a horse and some equipment after a bit of difficulty with deciphering the local accent. After buying some food, they got a room at the inn and stabled their horses.

Shiro checked Saber's condition. "She's doing better now. But I think she still needs more antidote. I'll go make some more."

"Ok..." said Rin, who was already reclining on one of the straw beds. She yawned. "Be back before dinner."

"Of course." replied Shiro. He gathered some cooking utensils and went out.

That evening was uneventful and so were the next two days. When they were not caring for Saber, they spent their time exploring the village and the surrounding area. News of the great battle and the disappearance of King Arthur had reached the village. The reactions of the townspeople varied from great sorrow to indifference. Both Rin and Shiro were stunned that the people did not love the king as much as they thought. In fact, some people seemed to favor Mordred's rebellion.

Then on the afternoon of the third day, as Shiro and Rin were constructing a map of the surrounding area, there was a soft rustle from Saber's bed. Shiro and Rin turned towards the sound at the same time and were elated to see Saber staring at them. Both of them rushed to the bedside.

"Saber! Thank goodness, you're awake." said Rin.

"How are you feeling?" asked Shiro.

Saber's mouth opened and closed a few times before she spoke softly, "Who art thou? Whither am I?"

Rin and Shiro glanced at each other. It was too much to hope that Saber would know them. Rin was the first to reply. "Uh, I am known as Rhynne and he is known as Syrowe. Thou art in a small village inn."

Saber shifted in bed and brought out a bandaged arm from under the bed sheets. "Why is it, that e'en so forwounded am I, that mine mind lacks memory of how I am wrought thus?"

Rin arched her eyebrows in surprise while Shiro dropped his jaw a bit. Rin cleared her throat. "Thou wert wounded in battle over yonder hills. We hath found thee in grievous hurt and hath tended to thy wounds."

"I thank thee. When I am fit, I shall find a way to acquit thy kindness." Saber's face grew pensive. "But still... mine mind remain veileth, for I remember not such past battle. Truly told, I remember not a great many things."

"Dost thou remember thy name?" asked Shiro haltingly. At a moment like this, he regretted not having enough time to practice medieval English at the Academy.

Saber smiled. "Arturia... at least, that I knowst to be true."

Rin clasped her hands with glee. "That is well, Lady Arturia. Tis a good omen of thy healing."

Arturia studied Rin for a moment. "Dost thou knowst me? Thou firstly spake to me with such familiar cheer."

A drop of sweat trickled down Rin's forehead. "Pardon mine speech, milady. As a physic, I assume such manner to lift the spirit of mine patient. I believeth that cheer doth stave away unhealthful melancholy."

Arturia let out a small chuckle. "Then blessed am I to have thee attend me. Know that thy cheer liveneth mine spirit, though mine limbs refuseth yet to yield to mine bidding."

At these words, Rin's lips drew into a smile.

"Pray tell, Lady Rhynne, how long must I abide till I can rise on mine own strength? And e'en more so, how wilt mine memory fare?"

"Thou bore grave wounds upon thy person, and thy blood floweth forth in great quantity. In many a patient likened to thee, some regained their self o'er a fourtenight. But some remaineth abed and their past forgotten. I truly hope that providence will grant thee a boon and thou will overcome this trial."

Arturia nodded. "Then I shall await thy counsel." Her eyes softened. "Once again, I am in thy debt. Know that mine gratitude knoweth no bounds."

"Then my first advice to thee is thus. That thou shall consume food when thou hunger and thou shall rest otherwise."

"I shall follow thy counsel. Please allow me to partake a meal with thee."

"And that you shall." Rin stood up and walked toward the door. "In honor of thy waking, I shall request a feast fit for a king." Rin beamed Arturia her most charming smile.

With the word 'king', Shiro stifled a chuckle.

"Please await mine return." She opened the door and left.

This time Shiro felt Arturia's gaze upon him and turned to meet Arturia's eyes. After a few moments, Shiro felt his cheeks flush and he glanced away with a bit of embarrassment.

"Dost thou knowst me, goodman Syrowe?"

Shiro wasn't sure what to say. After a moment, he decided to follow Rin's example. "Tis such as my companion hath said. I only wished to greet thee with cheer." He walked over to the table and began to move it over to Arturia's bed. "I shall prepare this table for our meal."

"Thou seemst not accustomed to thy speech. Whither dost thou hail from?"

Shiro remembered Bedivere's reaction and swallowed. He had to be careful. "From a land far, far away. It is called Nihon."

"Nee-hun? Then thy land must be far, for I hath not heard of such a place."

"Tis far, indeed." Shiro began to roll up the crude map on the table.

"What, perchance, might that be?"

"Tis a map of the village and the fields nearby."

Arturia noted the quill and the inkbottle. "For what purpose dost thou construct this map?"

Shiro tried to do some fast thinking. "Er... um... we art travelers. We construct a map so that we would remember this village just in case we pass this way again."

Arturia was silent for a bit and then nodded. "That is prudent." She shifted to lie on her side. "Pray, tell me, of the lands that thou hast seen."

Shiro scanned his memory for all the touristy places that he had been to and their medieval counterpart. He did not want to pick a place that might cause a belligerent reaction from Arturia. After some consideration, he settled on Greece. "There is a land beyond the southern ocean and west of the Aegean Sea. It is called Greece."

Shiro continued to tell Arturia about the landscape of Greece and its culture until Rin entered carrying a tray of food. One of the inn's maids was behind her and was also carrying a tray of food. Shiro went and took the tray from the maid who blushed when their hands touched near the tray handles. When the maid left, they put a bowl of soup and some bread within Arturia's reach. Rin took a pillow from her bed and helped Arturia prop herself up.

By habit, Shiro clasped his hands together and was about to say "Itadakimasu", but was interrupted by Arturia's soft prayer for the meal. After the prayer, they enjoyed a pleasant meal together while Shiro continued his description of Greece.

After the meal, they talked for a bit about other lands. Eventually, Arturia yawned.

"Methinks, I shall heed thy counsel and rest."

Rin nodded and helped Arturia lie down. Then she gestured to the bell-pull near Arturia's bed. "Should thou require anything, thou needst only pull yonder rope. We shall be with thee anon."

"Mine thanks. And good night." said Arturia and closed her eyes.

Rin took Shiro's hand and together they left the room. She turned to Shiro and whispered in Japanese. "We shouldn't tell her that she's the king. Did you mention anything like that when I was gone?"

"No, I was worried about it too. She's supposed to be in Avalon, right? Just like the legends say."

Rin nodded. "We were in luck that she has amnesia. But I don't know how long that would last. If she regains her memory, I'm not sure if I can stop her if she decides to go back to Camelot."

Shiro paced a bit. "I heard in town today that the lords are meeting to talk about choosing the next king if King Arthur isn't found within a week." Shiro thumped his fist into his palm. "Oh yeah! While I was gathering some herbs outside of town this morning, I saw a bunch of guys on horseback."

"Which way were they headed?"

Shiro closed his eyes and tried to remember. "I think they were headed toward the battlefield."

"Hmmm... I think it's too late to look for survivors... they may be looking for something else."

"If they're looking for Arturia, they'll search the battlefield."

"Or... if Bedivere told them about the lake, they'll search there too."

"Do you think they'll look here?"

Rin rubbed her temples and thought for a bit. "I doubt it... but we're so close to the battlefield. If they're not looking for Arturia, they may be looking for other survivors. I think we should leave as soon as possible."

Shiro nodded and then crossed his arms. "Yeah, we should leave... but Rin... what are we supposed to do in the long run?"

Rin froze. Of course, if Arturia was supposed to be gone, how long could they maintain their secret? Rin bit her lip. "I... I don't know... at the moment, I just wanted her to get well. Ask me again in the morning."

Shiro sighed and uncrossed his arms. "Yeah, I wanted to save her too. But now..." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm not sure what we should do." He smiled ruefully. "It's been a long day. Let's get some rest."

Rin agreed and they went back into the room and went to bed.

---------------

Rin and Shiro woke up early and had a small breakfast of bread, cheese and tea in the common room downstairs. After breakfast, Rin began packing while Shiro went to the market to get supplies. While she was packing, she heard a rustle from Arturia's bed. She stood up and turned.

"Good morning." said Arturia softly.

"Good morning." replied Rin as she made her way to Arturia's bed. "How art thou?"

"Mine slumber was deep and mine spirit refreshed."

"Tis well." Rin paused. Now that Arturia was awake, Rin felt a bit uneasy about changing her bandages. For some reason, she felt more self-conscious. She took a deep breath. "Thy bandages must be redressed."

Arturia merely nodded. "If that needs be so, then I am ready."

"Abide here for a moment. I shall ready mine self."

Rin took out some soft cloth and a roll of bandages from her pack. Then she fetched some warm water in a basin. When she entered the room, she was surprised to notice that Arturia had pulled aside the bed sheets and had unbuttoned her gown which exposed her upper torso and her trewes. Rin paused for a moment by the door as her mesmerized eyes wandered over the length of her body. Internally, she shook herself, and laid the basin on the table next to the bed. She poured a bit of sanitizing alcohol into the warm water.

Rin sat on the bed and cleared her throat. "I will remove thy bandages from thy... chest. After that, I wilt lift thee to mine self to unroll thy bandage from behind. Art thou ready?"

"I am."

"I beg thy pardon." Rin leaned forward and undid the bandage over Arturia's chest. Rin's hands made their way behind Arturia's shoulder blades and back.

Arturia lifted her arms and put her hands around Rin's neck. Rin's eyes grew wide at the contact and her skin broke out in goosebumps. She drew a deep breath and lifted Arturia off the bed. She sat up straight and leaned Arturia against her upper body. Arturia shifted her arms to go around Rin's neck and rested her chin on Rin's shoulder.

Rin had changed Arturia's bandages in the past, but Arturia was unconscious during those times. Changing her bandages was a practiced procedure and this occasion should be no different.

But today marked the first time she would change her bandages while she was awake. For some reason, Rin found it hard to concentrate. On her own volition, Arturia had wrapped her in this peculiar embrace. The unexpected action caused a bit of confusion in Rin. However, a part of her interpreted the action as proof of Arturia's trust. Thinking about it left a warm glow within her.

Still, she had to concentrate and do her job. Rin took a deep breath and focused on her task. She carefully peeled the bandages starting from Arturia's chest and around her back in a counter-clockwise motion. She also peeled off the bandages around her left shoulder. Finally, she removed the bandages around her waist. She picked up a soft cloth and dipped it in the warm water in the basin.

"I shall now cleanse thy skin with this cloth. The cloth boreth some tonic, so thou might feel its sting. But be at ease, the tonic wilt improve thy healing."

Arturia's voice whispered softly near her ear. "Please proceed."

Rin slipped her hand between herself and Arturia. Since she could not see a part of Arturia's front torso, she relied on the tips of her fingers to guide her hand. Just underneath the folds of the cloth, she could feel those sinewy muscles born out of wearing armor. Rin closed her eyes to help herself concentrate. Tracing the contour of her body, she gently wiped across her chest twice, just over her breasts. Then she moved down just underneath her breasts and across to the other side.

When she identified scarred skin, she slowly wiped around it. But sometimes, whenever she passed near the scarred skin, she felt Arturia's arms tense up around her neck for a brief moment. Other than that, Arturia made no other reaction.

She rinsed the cloth and wiped Arturia's sides and upper arms. By now, Rin's confusion was replaced by a sense of serenity as relied on touch alone to sense the contour of Arturia's body.

She rinsed the cloth again and reached around Arturia to wipe her back. As she was wiping her back, Arturia leaned a bit closer to her and her breasts pressed against Rin. Rin's cheeks flushed when she felt its warm softness through the thin fabric of her summer tunic. The sense of serenity was quickly supplanted by the increasing beat of her heart. Goosebumps were spreading all over her skin.

"This fragrance about thee... reminds me of camellia." said Arturia, her breath tickling her earlobe.

Rin paused for a moment and wondered why Arturia said that when there were no flowers nearby and she wore no perfume. Then, with practiced discipline, Rin resumed her task. She rinsed the cloth from time to time until she finished wiping Arturia's back. As she was reaching for the clean bandages, she lost her balance and fell with Arturia onto the bed. Arturia let out a small gasp.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" said Rin into the pillow.

Arturia put her hands on her shoulders and pushed her up slightly. Her face wrinkled to a slight grimace of pain.

At that moment, there was a rushing of wind and the sound of heavy footsteps on the floor. A hand gripped Rin's shoulder tightly and lifted her off Arturia. Then, like a rag doll, she was tossed against the wall where she hung as if she were a fly stuck on a web. Rin's vision exploded in stars as her head hit the wall and air was driven out of her lungs by the force of the impact. When she finally managed to focus her vision, she saw a tall figure clad in a dark brown cloak with a large hood. Frizzled gray hair spilled out from the hood. A wrinkled hand with long thin fingers which ended with yellowed long nails slipped out from the billowy sleeves to touch Arturia's cheek. The very image screamed evil magician in Rin's mind. Her face paled and she trembled in fear.

That wrinkled hand moved down to Arturia's throat and then to her breast. Arturia's lips moved, but Rin could not hear anything. The hand pressed against the breast and Arturia appeared to gasp in response. Then the hand moved to slide across her stomach and down to her abdomen.

A dam of rage broke inside Rin, washing over her fear. She gathered her will. "A binding spell... counter..." thought Rin as she wove her fingers to cancel the spell. "Curse him... CURSE HIM! How DARE he!" Her right arm broke free and she leveled her pointing finger at the dark figure. She directed all her mana at the tip of her finger. "GANDR FYRE!" she screamed the curse with all her will.

A dense amount of black energy erupted from the tip of her finger and sped toward the magician. The magician looked up and held up a hand as if to block the energy. The dark energy hit the hand and splattered like paint hitting a wall. The force of the impact caused the magician to fly backwards and to be pushed up against the opposite wall. The dark energy continued to push against an invisible barrier. Behind the barrier, Rin could see the magician gesturing frantically. A circle of bright light appeared behind the barrier and the magician sidestepped swiftly to the left. To Rin's great chagrin, the curse broke through the barrier and sped into the circle of light which closed in upon it and dissipated, leaving only a shower of white sparks.

Rin shook herself free of the remnants of the binding spell and wove her hands to cast another attack. Meanwhile, the magician had leveled a glowing staff in her direction while those long fingers drew glowing glyphs in the air.

"This is bad... he's got an artifact..." thought Rin as she wove a defensive spell with her other hand. She stopped for an instant when Arturia's outstretched hand blocked her vision. Arturia seemed to be saying something to the magician. The magician lowered the staff and dismissed the glyphs with a wave of his hand.

Arturia turned to Rin and spoke clearly. "Be at ease, Lady Rhynne. Tis my old friend, Merlyn."

Rin blinked. Her thoughts were a jumble. "Merlin...? Wait... it can't be... is it really? That this is the real Merlin?" An image of the distinguished old man flashed in her mind and her excitement of meeting the real Merlin rose.

The magician drew the hood back and Rin gasped in surprise as voluminous tresses cascaded down as they were freed from the hood's confinement. A wizened face that could have belonged to somebody's doting grandmother greeted her with a tight smile. But her eyes trapped Rin in their gaze. Those golden eyes studied her with trite amusement.

"Ye surprised me, girl. I almost dinna catch that." said Merlyn dryly. "Mine apologies fer roughin' ye up. I thought ye were tryin' to have yer way with Arturia."

Rin's shock at Merlyn's gender gave way to her anger. "Me? Have mine way? Doth thine eyes doubt mine womanhood?" exclaimed Rin.

"I dinna doubt it." replied Merlyn calmly.

"She's not like that, Merlyn." explained Arturia. "She was dressing mine bandages."

"She dinna look it when I found ye."

"Ye art mistaken. She hath fallen upon me unwittingly."

"Oh? An' I suppose those moments when Guinevere fell upon ye wert also unwittin'."

"Guinevere?" asked Arturia slowly. "Who do ye speak of?"

Warning bells rang in Rin's mind. "Ah! She must be thy friend." said Rin as she quickly made her way to Merlyn's side. "Pardon us for a moment." She grabbed Merlyn's arm and with surprising strength, pulled her out of the room and into the hallway.

Merlyn let out a small yelp as she was tugged out of the room. Rin quickly closed the door behind her. She drew a circle above them and chanted "Silentium."

Merlyn looked up and her eyebrows arched up in recognition of the spell. She turned her gaze on Rin. "Ye have somethin' to tell me, lass?"

Rin bowed her head slightly, and looked off to the side. "Well... yea... but I am unsure of how to commence mine tale."

Merlyn studied her for a moment. "How did ye meet Arturia? Ye can use common. I've no need fer high speech."

Rin felt a bit at ease and reverted her speech pattern to match Merlyn's as she told her how Shiro and her found Arturia in the forest. She told her that she bandaged her wounds but did not mention using any spells in the process. She also left out the part about Shiro's enchantment on Bedivere.

Merlyn listened patiently. Her eyes never left hers even though she had finished her tale. They stood there staring at each other for few seconds. Then, with a blur, Rin found herself pushed up against the wall with Merlyn's hand over her forehead.

"Ye lie, girl." accused Merlyn.

Rin screamed as a vast pressure swelled in her mind. She felt like she was falling in a great abyss as memories of the last few days flowed like a stream past her. Images of the summer sped past, followed by her last year at the academy. Then, she caught a glimpse of her favorite professor, Arase. His words pierced her mind, "Give in, then it's all over."

"That's right! I have to fight this!" Rin gathered her will and obliterated the images flying past. Then she raised her head high and pulled the mana stored in her earrings, bracelet and amulet. She expelled it all with a great outward thrust into the pressure around her.

When the sensation of gravity returned to her body, she heard loud thud across from where she stood. Her eyes fluttered open as she sank down to her knees in exhaustion. On the opposite wall, Merlyn sat against it with a blank look in her eyes and blood trickling down her nose.

"Oh great..." muttered Rin as she stood up unsteadily and leaned against the wall. She walked as if in a trance. "Now we really have to leave... soon..." She opened the door to the room, walked in and closed it quickly.


	4. Chapter 4

The King and Her Queen

Chapter 4: The Aerie of Light

On her entry, she found Arturia reclining on her bed with her gown around her shoulders.

"Lady Rhynne? Art thou well? Thou seemst weary." inquired Arturia.

Rin made no reply and just waved her hand in a dismissive manner as she walked slowly toward the bed. Her body felt numb and exhausted. She reached for the antiseptic ointment and began applying it gently on Arturia's scarred skin.

"Whither goeth Merlyn?" asked Arturia.

Rin did not answer right away and continued applying the ointment. Then she stopped and answered hoarsely, "Left... on an errand...". She went behind Arturia and applied the ointment on her back.

"I see... something hath demanded her attention." said Arturia in a disappointed voice.

Rin reached for the bandages and began to wind it around Arturia's torso. After the bandaging was done, she stood up unsteadily and used the table for support. Her feet dragged along the floor as she walked toward her pack.

"Lady Rhynne... thou seemst unwell. Perhaps, thou should sit and rest?"

Rin ignored her and opened her pack to put her medical kit and leftover bandages in.

Just then the door opened and Shiro staggered in while supporting an unconscious Merlyn. "Rin, I found this old woman..."

"Merlyn! What hath happened?" exclaimed Arturia.

Rin quickly stood up and mumbled in Japanese, "We have to leave... Merlyn knows... we gotta go..." With faltering steps, she trudged toward Shiro.

"You look pale, Rin!" exclaimed Shiro in Japanese. He put his hand on Rin's forehead. "Looks like you over did it. You better sit down and rest. Your mana levels are in a flux."

"We can't..." Rin grabbed Shiro's shoulder and shook it slightly. "We have to leave..."

Shiro looked at Rin, and then Merlyn. He sighed. "Ok, I think I understand..." He put his hand on Rin's shoulder by the crook of her neck.

Rin began to smile in relief but her smile melted away when she felt Shiro press his fingers deeply into the side of her neck and next to her spine. "You... jerk..." was all she could mutter as her body went numb and the room around her swam into darkness.

Shiro caught Rin's arm as she fell forward.

"Goodman Syrowe... pray tell me what hath cometh to pass? Thou spake in a tongue unknowst to me." asked Arturia with a voice laced with agitation.

Shiro cleared his throat and tried his best to come up with a plausible answer. "It seemst that Lady Rhynne hath not taken enough rest. A few moments in bed will rouse her to wellness. As for the old woman, I hath found her fainted in the hall."

Arturia considered his answer. "I understand. Mayhap, the spell Merlyn hath cast was tiring and didst sap her strength. She forgeth her years sometimes."

Shiro laid Rin and Merlyn on the other bed. "She cast a spell?"

"Yea. She and Lady Rhynne hath mistook mine situation and cast spells against each other."

Shiro covered his face with his hand and groaned. He paced up and down the length of the room. Eventually, he stopped and concluded, "I'll let them rest for now. And then, I'll wake them up and ask them to explain what happened." Then he suddenly remembered that he should try to speak in Medieval English. "In the meantime, if thou art hungry, I hath bought thee some breakfast." Shiro lifted a covered basket on to the table. When he uncovered it, the smell of fresh baked bread and bacon wafted into the air.

Arturia gazed appreciatively at the food. "Thy plan hath mine approval. And I shall accept thine offer."

"I am pleased that thou art pleased." Shiro helped Arturia prop herself up with some pillows. As he laid some prepared some food for Arturia, he thought in the back of his mind, "And I'll get to the bottom of this mess..."

------------

Rin drowsily opened her eyes. A pair of golden eyes stared blankly at her. When her mind identified the owner of those pair of eyes, Rin let out a surprised yelp and pushed herself off the bed. She stumbled onto the floor and attempted to raise her hands. When she felt resistance, she looked down to find her hands encased in a spell restraining shell.

"Shiro!" Rin yelled angrily in Japanese. "What the heck is this!?"

Shiro stood by the bed where Merlyn was struggling to sit up. Her hands were also encased in a similar shell. He replied in Japanese, "Just a precaution. Arturia said that you and Merlyn were having a spell battle inside this inn." Shiro emphasized the word inn. He wore a stern look on his face.

"It's not my fault! She tossed me up a wall and then she... she..." Rin's cheeks flushed at the memory of Merlyn groping Arturia.

"She what?" asked Shiro with a cocked eyebrow.

"Arggghhh!!!" growled Rin in frustration. "It doesn't matter! Anyway, we have to leave. Merlyn knows about us." Rin jerked her head in Merlyn's direction.

Merlyn heard her name and took the opportunity to interrupt the private conversation. She cleared her throat. "Tch, ye can't talk about me without me understanding ye. Tis unfair."

Shiro turned to Merlyn and replied in English. "Lady Rhynne hath told me about how thou tossed her up yon wall."

"Aye. Tis I who must apologize for that. She seemst to be havin' her way with Arturia."

"I WAS NOT HAVING MINE WAY WITH HER!" protested Rin loudly in English.

"Aye, aye... hold yer peace. Tis I who mistook ye. Again, please accept mine apologies."

Shiro stared at the fuming Rin. He wondered what had happened when Merlyn came. After assessing Rin's state, he decided to ask her later. "Pray tell, Merlyn. Why wert thou outside this room?"

Merlyn chuckled. "I dinna know if Arturia was hurt, so I was inspecting her injuries. Whilst I did that, yer lady attacked me with strong dark magic."

"I'm not his lady." corrected Rin.

Shiro held a hand up in Rin's direction. "Please, Rin." Then he turned to Merlyn. "Please continue, Lady Merlyn."

"Dinna call me 'lady', boy. An' ye dinna have to speak high speech, if tis troublesome fer ye. Anyway, as I was tellin' ye, yon lass cast strong magic, and mine barrier cannae hold against it. I tried to send it somewhere else, but methinks I dinna step aside in time when mine barrier broke. A wee bit of it affected me and I fainted after I spake to her."

Shiro's brows knitted with worry. "It's worse than I imagined..." thought Shiro. Rin probably cast Gandr and he hoped that it was sent somewhere where there were no innocent bystanders. "Where did ye send it?" asked Shiro.

"I sent it to the battlefield o'er yonder hills." Merlyn seemed to notice the worry on his face. "Dinna worry about it. Only the dead lie there and mayhap an occasional bandit. Bandits art not welcome anywhere. They prey on the weak and loot the dead."

Shiro sighed with relief. "I understand. Anyway, what did ye talk about?"

"She told me how ye found Arturia in yon battlefield outside this village. An' I agree with her. Ye must leave this place."

At this point, Rin's jaw dropped. She expected Merlyn to oppose them.

Merlyn spoke to Arturia. "Can ye ride?"

Arturia shook her head. "Nay, I am unable to hold mine self up."

Rin stepped forward. "I can not allow that. She hath not healed enough."

Merlyn sighed and then spoke seriously. "If ye say so. Boy, can ye get a wagon fer us? A covered one will do well."

Shiro reached into his pocket and counted their money. "How much doth a wagon cost?"

"I dinna know." Merlyn paused. "I can give ye more coin if ye take these off." She held up her encased hands.

"All right." Shiro waved his hand and the shell enclosure dissolved. The enclosure on Rin dissolved as well.

Merlyn watched the shell dissolve and stared at her hands for a second. "Ye have an amazing spell, boy. Ye must show it to me another time." She held out a hand to Shiro. "Give me yer pouch." He handed the pouch to her. She emptied it on the bed, put her hand over the coins and chanted, "Mutatio." When she withdrew her hand, all the coins changed to gold pieces. Merlyn scooped up the gold and put it back in the pouch. "That should be enough. Go quickly."

Shiro accepted the pouch with a sense of admiration. As he looked inside, he blurted out, "Ye turned them to gold!"

Merlyn shook her head. "Nay, tis an illusion. The illusion wilt last till sundown. Transmutation magic needs a lot of mana, and I've cast too many strong spells today." She smiled mischievously and pointed to the pouch. "Ye better use them soon."

"Yea, I go at once." Shiro walked out quickly.

Merlyn spoke to Arturia and Rin. "Both of ye need to ready yerselves too." Then she laid down on the bed and closed her eyes. "Wake me on the boy's return."

Rin stared incredulously at Merlyn. Then she put rubbed the back of her head in irritation. Even though Merlyn seemed to be cooperative, she was still worried about protecting their secret from Arturia. After some thought, she decided to go along for now.

--------------------

They left the village around noon. Merlyn gave directions while Shiro drove the wagon.

"Whither art we bound?" asked Rin.

"A safer place than this." replied Merlyn. "Tis a bit far. Twould be faster by horse." She turned to Arturia who was lying in a makeshift cot. "It seemst that ye require rest." She waved her hand in a small arc to emphasize her suggestion.

Arturia yawned. "Verily, it seemst that I require some." She closed her eyes and began to sleep deeply within a few minutes.

Merlyn edged away from Arturia to sit near Rin and Shiro. She raised her hand and drew a circle above them with her fingertip. "Silentium." chanted Merlyn. "Firstly, I thank ye both fer saving Arturia. Without ye, she woulda died. Ye cast fine magic to heal her. I'm impressed with yer work. Secondly, I dinna know what to do with ye. Ye art not supposed to be here. But, ye art not scheming to steal the throne or enslaving innocents, so I will stay my hand. Thirdly, I dinna know what ye plan to do will Arturia. Tis a feat to travel this far. So now ye've found her. What do ye plan to do?"

The same question nagged at Rin once more. She stared at the floor of the wagon and stayed silent as she searched for an answer. Merlyn had assessed their situation with brutal clarity. Why did they come all this way? Rin admitted to herself that she wanted to see her again. She remembered that feeling of nostalgia when she found Arturia's clothes in her closet. It was then that she decided that she wanted to see her and to talk to her once more. If she could have enough of that, then she could return to the future fulfilled. It was a selfish simple wish on her part, and yet, she was not sure how to tell Merlyn her wish. Then, she recalled Merlyn's accusing tone outside the room in the inn. At that time, Merlyn could sense that she was not being truthful. It that was the case, then it would be difficult to lie to her. Rin drew a deep breath and answered with sincerity.

"I wanted to see her again. I planned to stay for as long as I could, and then go back to mine own time."

Merlyn studied her with an unreadable expression on her face. Rin tried to hold her gaze with equal indifference, but ended up blushing with embarrassment. She was thankful that Shiro could not see her since she sat behind him.

"What is Arturia to ye?" she asked softly.

Rin was startled by the question and hesitated for a moment. "A friend, of course." she answered quickly to cover up her hesistation.

Merlyn arched her eyebrow slightly. "Is that so...?" She observed Rin for a few seconds and then called out to Shiro. "What about ye, boy? What do ye plan to do?"

Shiro glanced briefly at Merlyn. "I wanted to see her too."

"An' what is Arturia to ye?"

Shiro blushed to his ears. He was glad that he was not facing Merlyn. "I... I like her. I want to be with her again, even if it's just for a short time."

"Oh-hoh..." said Merlyn with a hint of amusement. She chuckled. "I like ye, boy. Ye art bold and true. Now, I'm curious. How did ye meet Arturia?"

"Umm... Tis a long tale..."

"Tis a long journey we're taking. Pace yerself as ye will. I have time to listen."

Shiro swallowed and took a deep breath. He started at the time when Lancer attacked him. He ended with Arturia who he knew as Saber at that time, fighting off Lancer and Lancer's retreat.

Rin kept silent during this time and watched Merlyn's expressions while Shiro told his story. Her reactions were varied but seemed most intense when Arturia was summoned and when Shiro described Lancer.

Merlyn crossed her arms. "Hmm... why did she say that she wert yer servant?"

Rin cleared her throat. "Allow me to answer thy question." Rin explained the system of masters and servants and the battle for the Holy Grail. After she finished her explanation, Merlyn's forehead furrowed and a frown etched itself along the wrinkles of her face.

"Did Arturia say why she wanted the grail?" asked Merlyn.

Rin bowed her head. "Yea. She saith she wanted to redo the selection of the king."

"What?!" exclaimed Merlyn with surprise. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth hung slightly open.

"Tis true." said Shiro from his seat. "She wanted to redo it so that she would not be chosen as king."

At these words, Merlyn's expression revealed her shock. Her eyes wandered to rest on Arturia's sleeping form. She stared at her for a while. Then Merlyn's shoulders drooped and she leaned forward to take her face into her hands.

Rin watched Merlyn silently. Seeing Merlyn hunched over like that stirred her heart with pity. A cool breeze blew into the wagon and Rin wrapped her arms around herself. Rin looked out the back of the wagon and noted the coming of dusk.

Finally, Merlyn lifted her head. The waning light of sunset only served to deepen the shadows under her eyes and hair. "Ye have given me much to consider." She looked out of the wagon towards the setting sun. "Tis getting dark. We need to camp." Merlyn made her way to sit next to Shiro. She looked about and gave Shiro directions. They drove the wagon into an offbeat path and into a small clearing. The clearing appeared to have been used before since it had a burnt out campfire.

Rin prepared dinner while Shiro prepared their sleeping bags and fed the horses. Meanwhile, Arturia woke up. Merlyn stayed in the wagon and asked Arturia about her memories. Rin and Shiro eavesdropped to hear that although Arturia remembered Merlyn from her childhood, she could not remember anything about Merlyn after the age of twelve. As for other memories, she could describe places that she visited or lived in when she was young and the presence of people who grew up with her.

They had a quiet dinner. Merlyn appointed herself as Arturia's server and remained with Arturia in the wagon. Rin and Shiro sat by the fire and ate their dinner in silence. Neither dared to speak in Japanese for fear of Merlyn's curiosity. After dinner, they prepared for sleep. Shiro volunteered to keep watch and Rin agreed to watch after him. The night passed uneventfully.

-------------------

The next day, they ate a quick breakfast, packed up and started again. Rin took the opportunity to take a nap since she had kept watch last night. She prepared her sleeping bag next to Arturia and crawled in. Before she closed her eyes, she turned her head slightly and noticed that Arturia was looking at her. She began to blush and rolled over on her side away from Arturia. She shut her eyes, but for some reason, she could feel Arturia staring at her back.

"Maybe ye should rest too, Arturia." she heard Merlyn say.

"Yea... tis still early and the wagon's sway doth entice slumber." replied Arturia softly.

Sheets rustled behind her. She waited and listened as the wagon creaked. After a few minutes or so, she heard shuffling from behind her. The shuffling stopped somewhere near the front of the wagon. Then she heard Merlyn chant, "Silentium."

The sound around Rin became muffled and dull. At this point, Rin relaxed and let the swaying of the wagon lull her to sleep.

Meanwhile, Merlyn spoke to Shiro. "Boy, tell me about the grail. Describe it to me."

Shiro explained what the grail was and how the winner of the war could use it to grant their wish. He told Merlyn about how his stepfather participated in the war and the conflagration that robbed him of his family and home. He described his final battle with Kotomine and Arturia's destruction of the grail.

Merlyn listened quietly and only interrupted when something was not clear. After he finished his explanation. Merlyn muttered, "Methinks, that yer grail is not the same as the one in Gwent."

Shiro glanced at Merlyn briefly. "There's a grail in Gwent?"

"Aye. Sir Galahad, Sir Percival and Sir Bors accompanied the archbishop of Arimathea who is the hereditary guardian of the Holy Grail. The archbishop is currently staying in the monastery of Gwent."

"How far is Gwent from here?"

"Several days ride south of here." Merlyn watched his reaction. "Art ye disappointed? Did ye want to see it?"

Shiro shifted in his seat. It unnerved him that Merlyn was very astute. "Yea. Twould be well if I could see it."

"Be at ease. The archbishop of Gwent is a holy man."

"I hope so." said Shiro sardonically. His mouth drew to a tight line as he was reminded of Kotomine.

Behind him, Merlyn sighed. "I see... ye dinna like clergy. Tis well with me. Clergy and I ne'er see eye to eye. Some monks think ill of magicians. 'Worshippers of the unholy one' is what they say. I cannae blame them. There art magicians who use their craft fer their selfishness. The task of keepin' them in their place falls to magicians like us. Do ye agree, boy?"

Shiro nodded. "Yea. To wield magic against the innocent is wrong. I shall do what I can to stop such evil."

"Well said, boy!" exclaimed Merlyn. Shiro blushed in embarrassment at her praise. "Now, tell me the rest of yer tale about the war."

Shiro continued his story after Lancer retreated and Rin appeared with Archer. Merlyn listened patiently. He talked until about mid-afternoon. Rin woke up and Merlyn indicated that they should break for lunch. Once again, Merlyn directed them to a campsite and they prepared a lunch of bread, soup, ham and fruit. While Rin and Shiro busied themselves with lunch, Merlyn announced that she was going to change Arturia's bandages. Rin gave her new bandages and the medicine kit. She accepted them with a twinkle in her eye.

"Smile, lass. Ye will have a turn at it soon." Her face broke into a lopsided smile.

Rin glared at her with unbridled annoyance. "If ye need anything else, please call." Then she turned about and went over to stir the soup in the pot. When the food was ready, Rin gave Merlyn and Arturia their share and ate with Shiro. She whispered to him in Japanese. "So... what did you two talk about?"

Shiro shrugged. "She had more questions about the war. So I told her more about it. Oh yeah, she told me that a Holy Grail is at Gwent."

"Really?" exclaimed Rin with surprise. Then she lowered her voice. "Is it related to the grail?"

"Not sure." whispered Shiro. "It's south of here."

"Hmm... I think we should check it out, if we get a chance to."

"I think so too. But Merlyn thinks that it's not the same one."

"If it isn't, then we have nothing to worry about."

"And if it is?"

Rin sat still for a moment and assessed the possibilities. If it was the same grail, then they would be forced to take action. However, since they were in the past, they would have to risk interfering with the course of time. "Shiro..." said Rin quietly. "do you know how to pray?"

Shiro looked at Rin quizzically. "Only enough to wish for something on New Year's. Why?"

"Well, we better pray that it's not the same one." replied Rin. She resumed eating her meal quietly.

Shiro sighed and did the same. When they had finished, they packed up and resumed their journey. After Arturia went to sleep, Merlyn began to interrogate Rin about the war. When the topic of Ilyasviel came up, Rin and Merlyn exchanged theories about how one could fashion a human being around a magic circuit. Shiro sighed with exasperation as Rin launched into a heated debate with Merlyn. He was glad that the silentium spell masked their argument and would prevent Arturia from hearing their racket.

The rest of the journey settled into a regular pattern of talking about the war or magic and making camp. On the afternoon of the sixth day, they came upon a green valley at the foot of a majestic mountain whose peaks were covered with snow and obscured with fog.

"Behold." said Merlyn with her eyes twinkling with pride. "The valley of Eryri and the mountain Yr Wyddfa. Our journey is almost done. Our destination lies just beyond yon valley." She sat next to Shiro and clapped him soundly on his back. "Ye've done well, boy. We've arrived sooner than I expected. Let us go on. Tis not far now."

Rin looked out of the wagon and gasped as she gazed upon the valley. The valley reminded her of the same valley near the Academy. Her eyes brimmed with tears at the memory. "It's... beautiful..." said Rin in a voice filled with awe.

"Yea. Tis indeed." remarked Arturia who sounded so close to Rin that she backed away with a start. Somehow, Arturia had managed to crawl out of her cot and to sit beside her without her noticing.

"Thou... thou art better!" said Rin excitedly as she crawled back to where she sat before.

"Yea. Mine thanks to all of thee." replied Arturia with a cheerful tone. "Strength hath begun its return to mine limbs."

Meanwhile, Merlyn climbed back into the wagon. She knelt by Arturia and examined her. She sat back on her heels with a look of wonder on her face. "Tis true... yer bones have set faster than any I've seen... tis amazing. Tis almost as if..." Instead of completing her sentence, Merlyn threw her arms around Arturia and hugged her. "Thank the fates!" She pulled back. "Tonight, we shall hold a small feast and drink to yer health."

With their destination in sight and the great news of Arturia's progress, they made their way into the valley in high spirits. Merlyn directed them to the nearest village. There, they got some rooms at the inn and ordered a big meal in the pub downstairs.

Merlyn raised her tankard of ale. "Tis been a long journey fer all of ye. But let us nae forget that every journey begins with one step. Fer now, let us look back and remember how far ye've come. Ye can take pride in that. I give ye a toast! To yer health and success!"

They clashed their tankards lightly, spilling some ale on the table. Merlyn brought the tankard to her lips and emptied it with several mighty gulps. "Ahhh... that hits the spot..." she said merrily as she set the tankard down.

Arturia took several gulps but with much less bravado than Merlyn. Rin scrutinized the inside of hers doubtfully before taking a sip. Her face scrunched up and she put the tankard down with her right hand on top.

Shiro stared at the brownish liquid for a moment and then took a mouthful. He made a wry face but swallowed the ale with a bit of effort.

"Go on, boy. A man will finish what he started." chided Merlyn.

Shiro looked at Rin helplessly. Rin simply shrugged her shoulders. He stared at the tankard in his hand for a moment and then brought it to his lips. His other hand grabbed the edge of the table as he downed the ale with several gulps. Finally, he set the tankard down with an audible clank which proclaimed its emptiness. He let go of the table and brought his hand to his mouth as if to keep himself from retching.

"Well done! An' what about ye, lass?"

"Oh, very well..." Rin took the tankard with both hands and drank its contents daintily. She set the empty tankard down calmly.

Merlyn cocked an eyebrow. She leaned forward and grabbed Rin's tankard. She verified that it was empty and glanced at Rin who sat with a small smile on her face. Merlyn sniffed the inside of the tankard and did not detect the strong scent of ale. She set it down with an air of disgust. "Cheater. But I'll let ye go fer now."

Their waitress came by with their meal and more ale. Shiro groaned at the sight of another tankard before him. They ate their meal with a relaxed conversation about the village and other parts of the valley.

After their meal, they retired to their rooms. Merlyn declared that she would share Arturia's room, so Rin and Shiro shared the other. After almost a week of camping, the straw beds of the inn were a welcome comfort. They all slept well that night.

-------------------

On Merlyn's urging, they set out early next morning. Rin put a cloak on since the air in the valley was chilly. Arturia sat across from her with her blanket wrapped around her. Merlyn sat next to Shiro and obviously looked comfortable in her layered brown robe.

Rin felt drowsy and yawned. She recalled the warm softness of the bed and wished she could have slept a few more hours. She drew her cloak around her and closed her eyes in an attempt to meditate. Internally, she chanted the mantra in her mind and let herself drift with its rhythm. Before she realized it, she had fallen asleep.

She woke with a start when she felt something heavy hit her side. One of the small casks of water had fallen over and rolled to her side. But what surprised her more was the unusual warmth she felt next to her. It was then that she noticed the patterned blanket wrapped around her. The sound of her heart was thumping in her ears as she slowly turned her head to see Arturia's smiling face.

Rin's cheeks flushed slightly at the closeness. "Milady... ye didn't have to..." She leaned her body to move away, but Arturia's arm was around her and eased her back.

"Nay, thou seemeth to tip when we began our ascent. Besides, thy hands succumbed to the chill of the mountain breeze." As if to emphasize her point, she squeezed Rin's hand under the blanket. "And, thou needst not address me as 'milady'. We art bosom companions. Twould gladden mine heart if thou wouldst address me by name."

"Th-- Then, please extend the same courtesy to me..." Rin blurted out and blushed even more. Ever since Merlyn arrived, she kept her distance from Arturia. Being under the same blanket caused her to become even more conscious of Arturia's warm body next to hers. Her fingers tingled as she clasped Arturia's left hand. Arturia's arm was behind her while her right hand held her shoulder and steadied her when the wagon swayed over uneven ground. Her intense green eyes were so close that Rin was caught in its gaze.

Arturia tilted her head to the right thoughtfully. "Art thou well? Thy skin seemst suffused with rosy hue." She leaned forward and touched her cool cheek against Rin's. "Hath thou contracted a fever?"

Rin's body went rigid and she found it hard to breathe.

"Tis the forehead, Arturia." corrected Merlyn who was observing them with amusement from the front seat.

"Ah, is it so?" Arturia slipped away slightly and rested her forehead on Rin's.

She could not see anything else but Arturia's eyes. She could not breathe anything else but Arturia's breath upon her lips. She could not feel anything else but Arturia's cool forehead against her own. The sensations flooded her brain all at once. The world whirled around her and she fainted.

"Merlyn!" cried Arturia as she held Rin against her. "She's bleeding!"

Merlyn sighed and crawled to Arturia's side. She ripped off a small piece of clean bandage and instructed Arturia. "Tilt her head back and put this around her nostrils... that's good. Keep it on till the bleeding stops."

"Is she sick?" asked Arturia with a worried note in her voice.

Merlyn smiled mischievously. "Aye... but tis a minor malady o' the heart. Besides, as ye've discovered, the lass is a skilled physic. She can cure it when need be. Dinna worry about it. An' remember to tilt back a bit."

"Really?" remarked Arturia with a puzzled tone. She tilted Rin's head back slightly. "What an unusual malady. Mayhap, I shall inquire about it later."

Merlyn stifled a chuckle while Shiro pondered over the weird conversation. In the back of his mind, an idea began to form, but he dismissed it as improbable.

Meanwhile, Merlyn crawled back to sit next to Shiro. With her directions, they navigated up the mountain pass without incident. By late afternoon, they drove the wagon into a mine. Merlyn lifted her staff and chanted, "Illumina". The tip of her staff burst into a bright light which filled the damp dark cavern.

"Tis an old mine shaft used to mine copper." explained Merlyn. "Twas abandoned when the miners cannae find anymore copper."

They proceeded until the wagon could not pass through the narrow passage. Merlyn jumped off the wagon. "From here, we go on foot. Leave yon supplies. We shall fetch them later. Boy, can ye carry Arturia?"

Shiro grinned widely and nodded. "Of course. Leave it to me."

"Rhynne... Rhynne... we must disembark." Arturia shook Rin slightly.

Rin opened her eyes and lifted her head from Arturia's shoulder. She looked about inside the dim wagon. When she realized that she was next to Arturia, she slid away slightly. "I... I beg thy pardon. I didn't mean to fall asleep..."

"Worry not. The wagon doth sway and tilt a bit. Twas of little effort for me to provide thee some means of comfort. Art thou well? Merlyn saith that we must go on foot."

Rin extracted herself from the blanket and assumed a kneeling position with her arms outstretched. "Of course! As ye can see, sleep hath refreshed me."

"I am glad." She took off the blankets and turned to Shiro. "I beg thy pardon and hope that I will not burden thee too much."

"Not at all." replied Shiro warmly. He helped her to the edge of the wagon and let her settle into his arms. Together, they followed Merlyn into a narrow passageway.

Rin hurriedly picked up Shiro's pack and her own. Their equipment was inside and she wanted to ensure its security. She then jumped off the wagon and caught up with them in the passageway.

They walked through several labyrinthine tunnels. As they walked along the passageway, Rin noticed an animal's skeleton in the dim light. That unnerved her enough to ask, "Art there any wild animals here?"

Merlyn replied without a beat. "Only an occasional mountain lion, or sometimes... a lost child who cannae find his way out."

Rin and Shiro followed Merlyn closely after that.

After about half an hour, Merlyn stopped at a rocky wall and began to poke her hand in several crags. There was a rumbling and grating noise and the wall swung back like a door. Except for Merlyn, the three of them stood there in amazement. Merlyn strode in and beckoned them to follow. They entered a large cavern and walked on a well-paved path. After they had passed through the rock-hewn doorway, Merlyn selected a lever among a set of levers and pushed it down. The door swung close with more grating noise. Merlyn pushed down another lever and the series of ropes and chains at the end of the cavern began to move. The ropes and chains extended so high up the cavern that they could not see where it ended. All three of them watched curiously. Finally, they could see the outline of a wooden platform. When the platform finished its descent, they boarded it. Merlyn reached over and pushed down one of a pair of levers to the right of the platform. The platform began to ascend.

At the top of the cavern, the platform entered a vertical shaft. Shiro took the opportunity to ask about the platform. Merlyn replied that the platform was originally constructed as an escape route for a nearby fort. However, the ruler at said fort was killed in battle and the construction of the shaft stopped. She had discovered its location by accident and decided to modify it to suit her needs.

Finally, the platform reached its destination. The three of them were amazed to find themselves in large well-lit hall. The walls of the hall seemed to be made of semi-transparent glass. In some areas, the walls were transparent enough to see a view of the valley below. It was then that they realized how far up the mountain they had come.

Merlyn stepped off the platform and bowed extravagantly in their direction. "Welcome to mine home. Welcome, to the Aerie of Light."


	5. Chapter 5

**The King and Her Queen**

**Chapter 5: Tonight's Entertainment**

Warm sunlight filtered through the great hall to welcome them from the cold dark cave. Before them stretched a lush green and brown carpet which ran from the platform to the opposite side of the hall. Potted trees were equally spaced along the carpet. Their branches extended overhead and offered the visitor a sample of its blossom or its fruit.

Tall narrow windows stretched from the floor to the ceiling and provided a clear view of the valley below. A bench was conveniently placed next to each window. On the walls hung various colorful tapestries of different sizes. Most of the tapestries were nature themed and some were semi-transparent so that the weave seemed to glow.

When their initial shock of amazement wore off, they followed Merlyn across the sunlit hall. When they reached the doorway at the end of the hall, they heard the sound of someone sprinting towards them. Merlyn stretched out her arms to welcome the sprinter.

"Mother!" exclaimed a young maiden with a twinkling musical voice. She was about sixteen years old and was six inches shorter in height compared to Merlyn. "Welcome home!" She hugged Merlyn tightly. She was dressed in a light brown and pale yellow ladies shirt with a laced waist corset and a dark brown skirt.

When they heard the girl's greeting, Rin and Shiro's jaws dropped and they stopped walking. They stood there in shocked silence as the girl kissed Merlyn on both cheeks. Then, the girl noticed them.

"How wonderful! Ye've bought visitors!" The girl skipped towards them and beamed a charming smile. Her facial features were similar to Merlyn's but were enhanced with rosy cheeks and fair smooth skin. Her waist length hair was brown and braided in some places. But the most striking features were her dazzling eyes which matched Merlyn's golden ones.

Merlyn cleared her throat and gestured as she introduced them. "Tis Rhynne, Syrowe and Arturia. And tis mine daughter, Airianne."

"Arturia!" She glided over to grasp Arturia's hand in hers. "Mother told me a lot of stories about ye! She..."

Merlyn put a hand on Airianne's shoulder. "We've journeyed far, Airianne. Can ye prepare tea fer us?"

Airianne gazed at her mother for a moment as if lost in thought. Then she smiled warmly. "Of course! I understand. I will serve it in the rose garden! Or... will the lily pond be better?"

"The rose garden is fine." replied Merlyn. Airianne curtsied gracefully and skipped to the left hallway at the end of the hall. At her exit, Rin and Shiro released their bated breaths.

They followed Merlyn across what appeared to be a sitting room furnished with padded chairs and sofas. On several small tables lay scrolls and crudely bound books. Stringed musical instruments hung on one side of the room. The carpet was thick and lush compared to the sunlit hall.

They walked for a minute through several hallways. Merlyn led them to an intricately wrought stained glass door. The stained glass depicted an image of red, yellow and white roses intertwined together. She opened the door and ushered them into an indoor rose garden.

The soft scent of roses assailed their senses. The rose bushes were separated into three groups by color and were equally distant from each other. Rin recognized the pattern of an equilateral triangle formed by an orderly arrangement pebbles ingrained upon the grassy ground. Her sense of direction indicated that the red rose bushes were at the northmost point of the triangle. At the center of the triangle was a small iron table with a stained glass top.

"This place can be used for rituals." thought Rin. "A hidden function, no doubt." She tried to recall if she had seen anything else that might serve a hidden purpose besides decoration, but could not think of any at the moment. Rin set their packs down at a corner of the garden.

Merlyn pulled a chair and gestured at Shiro. He carefully lowered Arturia into it. They all sat down to wait for Airianne.

Shiro looked up at the high ceiling and marveled at its construction. "Was this made with magic?"

"Nae all of it. Ordinary craftsmen trusted by mine family did a lot of the masonry. Mine great grandmother enchanted the rock that lets the light in. It looks like rock from the outside but lets light in to the inside. Each generation of mine family adds enchantments to our home. Mine is the platform, as ye can see."

"But before ye had the platform, how did you get up here?"

"We flew."

"Flew? As in using a broomstick?"

"Do ye mock me, boy? I'm not a conjurer of cheap tricks. Only charlatans use broomsticks."

The door of the garden swung open and Airianne glided in with a tray in her hands. She set the tray down on the table and served them tea and small loaves of bread and butter. Then she sat down beside her mother.

"Tis mine favorite bread, ale bread. Have some. Airianne made it herself." Merlyn picked a loaf and spread a generous amount of butter on it.

"Why am I not surprised..." thought Rin as she took one and broke it to examine its contents quickly. She noticed some green onion and melted cheese. "It can't be that bad..." She took a bite and was pleasantly surprised at its enticing flavor. "Tis delicious!" she exclaimed.

Shiro nodded in agreement. "Yea. It is." He took several large bites.

Merlyn quickly finished her bread, slurped half her tea and stood up. "I must greet mine wife." she declared.

Rin almost spit out her tea while Shiro almost choked on his bread. Arturia let her bread drop onto her plate.

Merlyn kissed Airianne on her forehead and patted her shoulder affectionately. "I'll be back, mine dearest. Will ye entertain mine guests fer me?"

"I'd be glad to, Mother." replied Airianne warmly. Merlyn nodded and exited the garden.

Airianne smiled at them charmingly. "How was yer journey? Did ye travel by horse?"

Shiro replied, "Nay. We rode a wagon which I drove."

"Did ye visit any great castles?"

"Nay, we traveled in haste."

"Ah, a pity. Some castles art a marvel to behold." Airianne poured some milk into her tea. "Yer features art not Bryton. Art ye Erisch, Pict or Saxon?"

At the mention of the word 'Saxon', Arturia's eyes narrowed and she set her tea down.

"Nay, I am neither. Mine people call ourselves Nihon-jin, which translates to a person of Nihon."

"Nee-hun? And where may that be?"

As Shiro told her all about Japan, he had a feeling of deja vu. While he answered Airianne's barrage of questions, he was reminded of his original conversation with Arturia. He hoped that Rin would add to the conversation, but she merely sat there drinking tea daintily.

Eventually, Airianne giggled. "Ye're a nice boy. Do ye have someone dear?"

A drop of sweat trickled down his forehead. "Yea."

"Ah, a pity." said Airianne with a note of disappointment. "Is she beautiful?"

Shiro smiled dreamily. "Yea."

Airianne's eyes grew wide. "Is it Lady Rhynne?" At this point, Rin was doing her best to suppress giggling.

"Nay."

"Then it must be Lady Arturia!"

"Yea."

Airianne clapped her hands with glee while Arturia sat up when she heard Shiro's answer. "What?"

Shiro faced her. "Tis true. Though our time together wert short, I hath grown fond of ye."

Confusion reigned on Arturia's face. "I am flattered... so much that I know not what to say."

"Oh, how delightful! The beginning of a budding romance!" Airianne broke out in tiny giggles. "And ye, Lady Rhynne, do ye have someone dear?"

Rin shrank back in her seat. She was hoping that Airianne would not ask her. "Yea." she admitted softly.

"Is it goodman Syrowe?"

"Nay."

"Ah, a pity. How interesting if it wert a love triangle!"

To Rin's great relief, Merlyn came back. Her face bore a solemn look which changed to a slight smile as she neared the table. "Have ye eaten yer fill?"

"Yea. Twas very good."

Merlyn nodded. "Then come and rest. I will show ye to yer rooms."

Airianne stood up quickly. "Allow me, Mother. Mama hath been waiting fer ye fer so long..."

Merlyn's eyes misted over. "All right. Show them the large rooms in the west wing."

Shiro carried Arturia and Rin picked up their packs. They followed Airianne along several hallways. Eventually, Airianne stopped and opened the door to a room. "This will be goodman Syrowe's room."

The room was about 30 feet by 30 feet. The ceiling of the room and west wall were semi-transparent. In the center of the room was a canopied bed with thick curtains. A small fireplace was on the north side of the room. On the south side was a vanity mirror and several dressers and closets. Colorful rugs and carpets enhanced the stone floor. Rin put Shiro's pack by the bed.

"Next door is Lady Arturia's room." declared Airianne with a mischievous smile as she opened the door to Arturia's room. Shiro went in and put Arturia on the bed. "This room is similar to the other room except that this bed is very comfortable, and can sleep two people." continued Airianne.

Rin's jaw dropped with surprise when she realized Airianne's subtle innuendo. She glanced at Shiro who stepped away from Arturia. Because of the light in the room, it was easy to see Shiro's flaming ears even though he was facing away from her. From his reaction, she concluded that Shiro realized it as well.

"Am I to share this room with Rhynne?" asked Arturia. At her unexpected question, Rin almost dropped her pack.

Airianne's smile was replaced with a surprised look as she turned to Arturia. She cleared her throat. "The room next to this one is to be Lady Rhynne's room." Airianne blushed slightly. "But if ye wish to share yer bed..."

Rin could guess what was going through Airianne's mind and did not wait for her to finish her sentence. "Mine pack is heavy. I shall go to MINE room and set it aside." Rin quickly exited Arturia's room and went to the room next door. She put the pack down and closed the door.

"I am confused." She heard Arturia say. Rin pressed her ear against the wood door. "If Rhynne hath her own room, then why is mine bed so large?"

The silence that followed was deafening. Finally, she heard Airianne clear her throat. "Since ye art injured, it might be of help to give yer limbs more room so that ye art comfortable."

The excuse seemed flimsy for Rin. Arturia had been recuperating on a narrow straw bed and a makeshift cot on a wagon. The lack of room did not deter her progress. Rin waited for Arturia's response.

"I understand." said Arturia after a brief pause. "That is kind of ye. And if I may beseech ye, please tell Rhynne that mine bandages hath not been dressed yet."

Rin's eyes widened and she quickly grabbed the pack. She sprinted to the nearest closet.

Airianne's voice echoed faintly in the hallway. "Aye. I shall see her now."

Rin opened her pack and scattered a few items. She opened the closet door and pretended to be putting stuff into the closet.

There was a knock on the door. "Come." answered Rin.

Airianne opened the door. "Lady Rhynne, Lady Arturia wisheth to let ye know that her bandages hath not been dressed." She tilted her head as if in thought. "Do ye wish to do laundry?" she asked.

"Err... no... not really."

Airianne smiled and walked to where Rin stood. "If ye need to wash yer clothes, ye need but toss it in yon chute." She gestured at the open closet. "Clothes art washed every third day."

Rin looked in and saw that there was indeed a chute in the closet. "Whither doth it go?"

"To the basement. Now, please excuse me. I shall prepare dinner." Airianne curtsied and closed the door behind her.

Rin examined the chute for a while. "This place is really cool." she thought. Then she fetched the medicine kit and bandages from her pack. Suddenly, she realized that the basin she used for water was still in the wagon. Furthermore, she needed some warm water. She would have to ask Airianne. She picked up her kit and walked to Arturia's room. The door was slightly open, but Rin knocked anyway.

"Enter." replied Arturia.

"Tis I. Didst Merlyn forget to dress thy bandages?" Rin put the kit and the bandages down on the bedside table.

"Yea. Methinks, in her haste to finish our journey, she hath overlooked it."

"Tis an important task." said Rin gravely, with an air of a professional doctor. "E'en though thy physic forgeth, as a patient, thou hath a duty to remind her. Shall I fetch her for thee?" Rin tried to reign in the teasing in her voice and attempted to sound as serious as possible.

Arturia bowed her head slightly. "Nay." said Arturia guiltily. "The thought hath occureth to me, but yet, I kept mine peace."

Rin raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Why so?"

"Methinks, thou perform the task better."

Rin blinked several times. "How so?" she asked with curiosity.

Arturia bowed her head some more. She remembered the tenderness of Rin's touch and how refreshing it was to feel her wipe her skin. In contrast, Merlyn rushed through the task and sometimes the washcloth would catch on a scab. She also had a tendency to bind the bandages rather tight. Maybe, she could convince Rhynne to do it instead of Merlyn. However, words seem to fail her and she blurted out, "With thou, it feels gentler and... cleaner."

"Cleaner?" repeated Rin. She tried to make out Arturia's face, but her long bangs obscured her line of sight.

"Yea." Her hand curled to grip the blanket. Somehow, it felt embarrassing and inappropriate to describe how she felt.

Rin was not sure how to respond. After a bit of thought, she replied with mock solemnity. "I am pleased to hear that. A physic must do what she can to promote her patient's cleanliness. Is it not saith that the cleanliness of the body reflects the cleanliness of the spirit?"

Arturia raised her head slightly and her eyes lit up. "Ah! I see truth in thy wisdom and mine thoughts art in accord with thine." She was relieved that Rhynne accepted her reason.

Just under the shadows of her hair, Rin could see that Arturia's cheeks colored to a slight shade of pink. For some reason, a part of Rin enjoyed seeing Arturia that way. Her amusement escaped into her lips. "I will need a basin and warm water. Please abide here whilst I fetch some."

"Please pace thyself. I will rest until then."

Rin excused herself and went to look for Airianne. After a few minutes of searching, she smelled the mouth watering scent of baked bread and followed it to a large kitchen. There, she found Airianne juggling several tasks of baking, frying and chopping. Airianne glided about wearing a cute apron embroidered with yellow chicks.

"Lady Airianne! Ye art cooking so much! Please let me assist ye." Rin stepped forward to flip over some slices of meat in a frying pan.

"Nay, Lady Rhynne. Ye art mine guest." Airianne set a knife on a carrot on top of a cutting board. "Besides, ye hath come for something?" After a quick flurry, butterfly shaped carrot slices were lying on the board.

Rin stared in amazement for a moment. Meanwhile, Airianne basted several roasting chickens in the oven. "Yea. I require a basin and warm water to dress Arturia's bandages."

"Warm water? Ah! Ye mean to do some cleaning." Airianne crossed her arms and thought for a moment. "Is she well enough to bathe?"

Rin assessed Arturia's current progress. "Yea. She hath recovered enough."

"Then, why not bathe? Tis much better than a basin and warm water. And the bath and privy art just at the end of the hall from yer rooms. Bath supplies and towels art stored in a closet within."

"I will let Arturia know about the bath. However, if she chooses not to bathe, dost the bath have a basin?"

"Aye." Airianne chopped some mushrooms and onions with lightning skill.

It was obvious that Airianne needed no help, but out of politeness, Rin asked her anyway. "Art ye sure that ye doth not require assistance?"

"Verily. Dinner will be ready in half an hour. I shall fetch ye when it is ready."

"If by chance that ye require any assistance at a later time, I would be glad to lend mine aid."

Airianne abruptly stopped chopping and looked up. "Any?" she repeated.

"Yea, any."

Airianne's lips drew into a wide grin. "Mayhap, I shall accept yer offer later. I will surely let ye know. Now, off with ye, and dinna be late fer dinner."

At the sight of that grin, a chill went up Rin's spine. She felt like she had just signed away her life. She hoped that it was just her imagination.

"Mine thanks." muttered Rin. Then she returned to Arturia's room and told her about the bath.

Arturia's face lit up. "A bath would be refreshing."

"Then I will ask Syrowe to carry you there." Rin went to Shiro's room and told him about the bath.

"That's great! I want to take a bath too!" said Shiro with great enthusiasm.

So Rin gathered a change of clothes while Shiro carried Arturia. Together, they went down the hall and looked for the bath. They found two doors at the end of the hall. The left door was a privy. After Rin opened the right door, they gaped in astonishment. Rin and Shiro expected to see something like a regular bath room but instead they found something like an onsen. They marveled at the size of the bath for a few moments before Shiro put Arturia down on a nearby bench.

"Methinks, I shall bathe later." Shiro said sheepishly and left, closing the door behind him.

Rin found some shelves and put their clothes in it. The cabinets were nearby and she located some towels, washcloths and soap. Then she turned to where Arturia sat to give her a towel. Rin's voice caught in her throat at the sight of Arturia undressing. She watched with bated breath as her shirt slipped off her shoulders and down her back. She put it aside and was only clad in her bandages and trewes. Arturia looked from left to right and then turned around to look behind her. Her green eyes met Rin's and she smiled warmly.

By now, Rin realized why Arturia looked so different. The sun had begun to set and its rays suffused the stone around Arturia with a rich golden orange color. Even Arturia's hair caught some of its light and each delicate strand seemed to glow.

She released her breath and walked over to Arturia. "I hath found some towels." She handed her a towel and a washcloth.

"Mine thanks." Arturia accepted them and put them beside her on the bench.

Rin sat beside Arturia on the open space on the bench. She cleared her throat. "Shall I... remove thy bandages?"

"Yea." Arturia lifted her arms and put her hands on Rin's shoulders.

Rin shuddered slightly at the contact. She bent her gaze to where the bandage was secured and attempted to undo the knot which was located between Arturia's breasts. She was not sure whether to thank Merlyn or curse her for tying it there. She decided to curse her after spending a minute trying to untie it.

Arturia noticed the scowl on Rin's face while she undid the bandage. "Mine apologies, Rhynne. Merlyn hath secured it tightly."

"Nay, tis no one's fault." replied Rin. She carefully unrolled the bandages. As she unrolled them, she noted the wounds underneath. It was indeed amazing. The wounds had closed and it was only a matter of time for the scabs to fall off. The bones and ligaments were healing quickly as well. After she was done, she put the bandages aside. "Whither thou wish to wash?"

Arturia looked about and pointed to a recessed area with stools. "Methinks that one washes over there."

Rin nodded. "Mine strength doth not match Syrowe's, but I can carry thee there."

"Art thou sure?"

"Yea."

"But Merlyn saith that thou art weak of heart. I doth not wish to exhaust thee."

"What? I have no such malady. When didst she saith this?"

"Today, after thou fell into a swoon."

Rin's jaw dropped slightly and her brain tried to come up with a good excuse. "I... I... hath kept watch almost ev'ry night and... the lack of sleep hath done its toll. Tis I who must ask thee for forgiveness for the inconvenience I caused."

"Thou needst not apologize. At the moment, mine concern is for thy health."

"I am fit now. As thou shall see..." In her mind, Rin chanted the spell, 'Strength of a Thousand'. "...now." When the spell activated, Rin scooped Arturia into her arms. It was an extravagant use of her mana, but she decided to splurge for this occasion.

Arturia let out a small yelp and wrapped her arms around Rin's neck in surprise. When she found her voice, she said, "I see... Thy strength proveth thy malady false."

Rin beamed her a smile of confidence and sauntered over to the recessed area. She sat Arturia upon a stool near a flowing waterspout. Then she fetched their towels and washcloths and placed them nearby. "I beg thy pardon. I will now change mine clothes."

"Why not change them here? I will be glad to assist thee."

Rin blinked several times. The zipper on the back of the dress was a pain to reach. Rin was about to refuse but she got caught in Arturia's expectant gaze. "All right." She sat down on a nearby stool with her back to Arturia. "The dress is fastened by a clasp near mine neck. Just pull yon clasp down."

Arturia located the clasp and pulled it down. She was amazed at how easily the dress parted. "Thy dress is of marvelous construct. I hath ne'er seen a clasp such as this. And what, perchance, is this black strap? Ah, I see it hath hooks." She unhooked the strap.

Rin's eyes grew wide when she realized that her bra was undone. Her hand hastily reached for a towel while Arturia undid the knot of the sash around her waist. When the knot was fully untied, the dress began to slip off her shoulders. Rin brought the towel to her chest and blushed at the thought of Arturia undressing her.

Arturia reached over and pulled down the sleeves of the dress to reveal Rin's upper arms and back. She noticed that the black strap went around Rin's front and over her shoulders. She touched the strap with her fingers. "And how doth this strap come off?"

Arturia's fingers upon her skin caused Rin to break out in goosebumps. She put her hand on her bra strap and turned towards Arturia slightly. "Thou hast giveth me enough aid. I shall complete the rest."

"I am glad to be of assistance. I shall finish undressing as well."

Rin remembered that Arturia was still wearing her trewes. She kept her back to her and stood up. She let her dress fall and took off her bra which she tossed out of the recessed area. Now only her panties remained. She blushed some more in embarrassment, for she had forgotten that she was wearing her lacy black bikini style panties. She hoped that Arturia would not notice as she tugged one side down.

After Arturia had removed her trewes, she spread a towel over her lap. Then she glanced over to Rhynne and was surprised to see her wearing an unusual piece of clothing for her underwear. She watched as she pulled it down over curve of her buttocks, past the length of her long slim legs and off her feet. She picked it up with the dress and tossed them aside to where the black strap lay. Just as Rhynne began to turn around, her sense of propriety warned her to turn away before she caught her in the act of observing her. Quickly, she turned her head away guiltily. She suddenly realized that this would be the first time in which she would see her naked. The thought filled her with excited curiosity.

Behind her, Rin cleared her throat. "Shall I wash thy back?"

Arturia faced Rhynne with an innocent smile. "Yea. Please do."

Rin repositioned herself and her stool behind Arturia. She prepared her washcloth with soap and water. With slow, gentle strokes, she began to wash Arturia's back.

Arturia closed her eyes and smiled to herself. She had missed Rhynne's treatment since Merlyn met them at the inn. For now, she was content to relish Rhynne's treatment for the next few minutes.

Her smile melted when Rhynne poured some warm water to rinse her back. It was over too soon.

"Let me know when thou wish to soak in yon pool. I will carry thee there." She picked up her washcloth and began to wash herself.

Suddenly, an idea entered Arturia's mind. "Allow me to return thy favor and wash thy back." She held out her hand for Rhynne's washcloth.

Rin stopped and gaped in surprise. She was about to refuse but the sight of Arturia smiling so expectantly changed her mind. With hesitation born out of uncertainty, she slowly handed Arturia her washcloth. "I... I thank thee for thy kind offer."

She turned around to provide Arturia easy access to her back. She felt the washcloth touch her back. Once again, her skin broke out in goosebumps.

Arturia mimicked the slow, gentle strokes that Rhynne had used. She worked on her task methodically.

Internally, Rin was squirming with the sensation of Arturia wiping her back. "Ohmigod... is this how she feels when I do it?" thought Rin as her breath came in ragged gasps. She tried not to make her gasping audible.

Meanwhile, just to make sure that she scrubbed well enough, Arturia ran her finger over Rhynne's skin. It slid smoothly over her skin.

On Arturia's touch, Rin shuddered and clasped her hand over her mouth to suppress a gasp. Her other hand gripped the towel with all her might.

Pleased with her work, Arturia smiled and continued to scrub. Soon, Rhynne's skin had assumed a nice healthy sheen. Arturia leaned back in satisfaction. "I am done. Thou may rinse."

Rin let out her breath. "M-- mine thanks..." she blurted out.

"Thou art welcome." said Arturia. After Rhynne rinsed, she returned her washcloth.  
Then Arturia washed her own hair and the rest of her body.

Rin reached into her small pouch of bath supplies and extracted her shampoo bottle. She squeezed it until a pea-sized amount of concentrated goo landed on her finger. Despite the need to minimize their luggage, Rin made a special exception to this shampoo which was a special blend of camellia that would keep her hair lustrous and silky. Of all the lessons in Ise jingu, the shampoo formula was the most practical one for everyday use. Of course, the true reason of bringing it was vanity, but she reasoned that it was essential for hygiene and health. She lathered it on her hands and then shampooed her hair. When she was satisfied, she rinsed and waited for Arturia.

Eventually, Arturia finished and turned to her. "May I ask thee to convey me to yonder pool?"

"Of course." She knelt by Arturia and took her into her arms. She stood up and felt something slither off her torso. The horrible realization that her towel had just fallen off filled her with embarrassment. It was not easy to ignore Arturia pressing against her breasts.

She calmed her nerves and proceeded to a pool that did not look like a boiling pot. She dipped her toe into the water to test it, and was satisfied with its temperature. She stepped into the pool and carefully positioned Arturia on a small bench attached to the sidewall. She selected that particular bench so that Arturia can have a view of the landscape beyond the walls of the bath.

"Is this satisfactory?" asked Rin.

"Yea. Tis perfect."

"I am glad." Rin waded to the steps to get out but Arturia called out to her.

"Whither goest thou?"

"Mine towel hath slipped off. I will fetch it."

"Why dost thou require a towel?"

Rin was uncertain how to answer. She decided to act conservative. "Tis for modesty. Besides thou hath don one upon thy waist. I doth not wish to offend thee by not observing thy customs."

Arturia shook her head. "Nay. Tis not a custom." To emphasize her point, she pulled the towel off, squeezed the water out and placed it outside the pool. "And be at ease. I shant take offense in viewing thy exquisitely shaped form."

Rin blushed slightly. Her thoughts were in a jumble. "Was... that a compliment?" she asked herself. She attempted to untie her tongue. "M--- Mine heart gladdens with thy words. Thanks to thee, I will no longer need to fetch mine towel." Rin waded to the sidewall on Arturia's right and sat on the bench there. To prevent herself from staring at Arturia, she closed her eyes and let her body relax. In an effort to keep time, she decided to recite a meditative mantra in her mind.

Arturia watched Rhynne for a moment and then turned her gaze to the landscape before her. She tried to find the road which led to this valley, but could not recognize any. Memories of their journey filled her mind. Even though she had known Rhynne for a short period, she felt a familiar camaraderie between them. However, every time she tried to search her memories for Rhynne's presence in her past, she could not find any.

"What hath happened to me?" she asked herself. She raised her left arm to examine it. Rhynne told her that bones in her forearm were broken and that the flesh around it was sliced open and was further damaged by the broken bones. She touched her arm and let her hand open and close. Her muscles felt stiff, but she did not feel any pain. As her eyes examined the skin on the arm, she noticed a red mark on her palm. The mark was not there when she washed her body. She touched it. It seemed to glow under her skin. "What could this be?" she asked aloud.

Rin heard Arturia's question and opened her eyes. "What is it?"

"There is a mark upon mine palm."

Rin waded over and held out her right hand. "May I see thy palm?"

Arturia was about to show her palm, but stopped when she noticed a red mark on Rhynne's palm. She took Rhynne's palm with her right and gently turned it up so she could view it fully. She held her left palm next to it. "Thy palm hast a similar mark."

Rin's eyes grew wide with surprise when she realized that the marks from the blood cleansing ritual were visible. She tried to remember if she cancelled the spell properly.

"Mine mark seemst to be a mirror of thine." remarked Arturia. To test her observation, she aligned the marks and pressed their palms together. Arturia gasped as a tingling sensation spread from her palm and into her body. The sensation filled her with a sense of exhilaration. For a moment, she felt like she was somewhere else. She could see a wood paneled room. The floor seemed to be covered with light green woven mats.

Rin gasped as mana gushed from her palm. She pulled away abruptly.

Suddenly, the vision of the room faded away along with the feeling of exhilaration. Her heart was beating fast so she sat still to calm herself. Her thoughts wandered to the vision of that room. Somehow, she felt like she had been in that room before. She was jolted from her thoughts by Rhynne's voice.

"Arturia... Arturia... art thou well?"

She looked at Rhynne with dazed eyes. "M-- methinks so..."

"Didst something happen to thee?" asked Rin anxiously. The meeting of the marks had caused some sort of side effect. She hoped that it did not do any harm.

"I felt a great excitement overwhelm me... and then... I saw a vision of a strange place..."

"Didst thou feel any pain?"

"Nay."

"And what didst thou see in thy vision?"

"I beheld a room boarded in wood. Upon the floor lay woven green mats."

As soon as Rin heard about the mats, a sense of apprehension welled up within her. She began to consider the possibility that Arturia would remember her time as a servant. She needed to know more. "Was there anything else?"

Arturia shook her head. "Nay. When thou removed thy hand, the vision faded." She stared at her hand. "Mayhap... if we hold our hands again... I may see more of it..."

Warning bells began to ring inside Rin's mind. She had to derail this train of thought somehow. "Hmm... methinks that thou hath seen a part of mine memories. The mark on thy hand activated a spell which allowed thee to peer into mine mind."

"Thy mark was mine mistake. I didst not dispel it properly after I hath healed thee. Please, allow me to correct mine error." Rin held out her hand.

Arturia stared at Rhynne's hand. She felt that the vision was part of her memories and not Rhynne's. She could not fully accept her explanation. If Rhynne dispelled the mark, then she may not be able to see that vision again. "Nay." she said firmly. "Allow me to keep it."

A mixture of surprise and disappointment filled Rin. She considered insisting on removing the mark. However, if she insisted, it might arouse Arturia's suspicions. She lowered her hand. "As thou wish. If thou wish to dispel it at a later time, please let me know." Rin noted the waning rays of the sun. "Dinner will be ready soon. We may stay for a few more minutes before we must ready ourselves." Rin waded back to her bench.

"All right." agreed Arturia.

When they had soaked long enough, Rin carried Arturia to the dressing area. They dried themselves and combed their hair. Rin quickly put on a shirt and skirt while Arturia dried herself. When she was done, she applied ointment where needed and bandages to protect sensitive skin. She assisted Arturia in dressing up. When they were done, Rin went to Shiro to ask him to carry Arturia. Together, all three of them went to the dining hall.

Merlyn and Airianne were already there. They sat on either side of a hunched old woman at a wooden round table. The old woman's thinning white hair and waxen complexion indicated her advanced age. Her face was lined with wrinkles, but she displayed a serene smile. She wore a simple beige gown.

Shiro carefully put Arturia down on a chair next to Merlyn and sat down next to her. Rin sat down next to Airianne.

When they were seated, Merlyn introduced them. "I'd like ye to meet mine wife, Wybrenne. Wybrenne, the lass next to me is Arturia, the young lad next to her is Syrowe, and the lass next to Airianne is Rhynne. They will be staying here fer awhile."

The old woman answered in a warm voice mellowed with age. "Welcome, all. Tis mine hope that thou will enjoy thy sojourn here. Avail thyselves of our abode as thou wish. And now, let us sup and partake of Airianne's efforts."

Together, they ate with animated conversation. Naturally, Wybrenne and Airianne wanted to know more about them and they eagerly supplied answers. Merlyn mostly simply sat back and ate like glutton who had not had a meal in weeks. The meal was delectable and was a veritable showcase of Airianne's talent. Shiro had to control himself from overeating.

At the end of the meal, Merlyn got up and pulled Wybrenne's chair away from the table. "We shall now retire for the night. Good night, all." Wybrenne nodded in their direction and then Merlyn pushed the chair which had small wheels attached to its legs.

Rin and Shiro cleared the table and wiped it clean. Airianne washed the dishes while Arturia dried them. When they were done, Airianne whirled about and asked, "What art yer plans for the evening? The night is still young."

Rin and Shiro looked at each other questioningly. Rin shrugged. Shiro decided to reply. "We haven't planned anything. Doth ye have something in mind?"

Airianne's face broke into a wide grin and glinting eyes. "Aye, I do. Come hither."

They followed Airianne into the sitting room which was near the great hall. She pulled out a board with an arrow stuck to it like a compass. She laid it on a table and they sat down on the chairs around the table to look at it.

The board had labels such as 'Singing', 'Tales of Romance', 'Tales of Adventure', 'Dancing' and more. "When Mother is here, we choose our evening's entertainment by using this board." She brought out a pack of cards. "And we decide who gets to spin yon arrow by cards. The loser must entertain the winner."

"What card game will we play?" asked Shiro.

"Old Maid. Doth ye know how to play?"

They all replied affirmatively. Airianne clapped her hands in glee. "Splendid!" With a whir, she shuffled the cards. Her hands flew across the table as she dealt them their hands. Her movement reminded Rin of a nightingale. When she was done, she faced Arturia. "The winner is the first who discards all of his or her cards. If it pleases ye, Lady Arturia, start the game."

"I shall." She picked a card from Shiro and placed a matching set onto the table. The game was afoot. Soon, matching cards were piling up in front of each player until Airianne had one card left. Rin held out her cards to her. Airianne's finger alighted over the joker which was drawn as a crotchety old hag.

"All right!" thought Rin. "I can still win!" Suddenly, Airianne's finger moved over to the other card and pulled it. Rin's face fell in disappointment as Airianne plopped down a matching set.

"Done." said Airianne with a note of finality. She touched the side of the arrow with her index finger and spun. "And now, tonight's entertainment is... 'A Romantic play'. Airianne clapped her hands with joy while the other three grimaced at the thought. "Oh how wonderful! It will be so much better with three people."

She flitted about the room as if looking for something. "Oh, what should we do? What should we do?" She opened a cabinet and began looking at scrolls. "Ah, this one should fit our cast!" She pulled out several scrolls. "Hath ye heard of the play, 'Cinderella'?"

Shiro and Rin replied that they had, but Arturia did not know the play.

Airianne began handing out scrolls. "Tis well that ye art not familiar with it, Arturia. Ye will be both audience and performer. And now, I shall cast ye to yer roles. Goodman Syrowe will be the narrator and all the male roles in yon script. Lady Rhynne will be the stepmother and her daughters as well as the fairy godmother. Lady Arturia will be Cinderella."

Airianne gestured to a slightly raised platform on one side of the room. "This will be yer stage." She opened a door near the platform. "If ye require any theatrical devices, ye may search for it in this room." She glided over to a comfortable armchair in front of the platform. "Ye may begin when ye wish."

Shiro sighed. He and Rin went into the room and returned with a small rug, a basin and several pieces of cloth. Rin laid out the props on the stage while Shiro carried Arturia to the stage. After Shiro put Arturia on the rug, Rin tied the piece of cloth around her waist and handed her a towel. Shiro stood at the left corner of the stage and begin his narration.

Arturia tried her best to do what Syrowe described in his narration. Rhynne entered the stage when one of her roles came up. Arturia watched with admiration as Rhynne acted out a conversation between the stepmother and stepsisters. She was so entertained that she often forgot to read her own lines. She blushed in embarrassment and tried her best to concentrate.

Meanwhile, Rin was glad that she could rely on her theater experience at the academy. She pitied pour Shiro who was obviously trying his best with his monotonic reading and stiff acting. After she acted out her roles as stepmother and stepsister, she waited for Arturia's response. Instead, she found Arturia gazing at her with undisguised wonder. Rin blushed and cleared her throat. She repeated her last line and emphasized the word 'Cinderella'. Arturia blushed and fumbled at her scroll until she found her line and recited it. Rin chuckled to herself. "How cute..." she thought and continued her acting.

Arturia acted through the play with a sense of bewilderment. Just as Airianne had predicted, she was caught up in the play as an actor and as a spectator. She had a few moments to watch Rhynne without interruption when the stepsisters tried to coerce the prince to dance with them. Syrowe seemed so wooden compared to Rhynne. Eventually, it was her turn to dance with the prince. Syrowe put her on the stool and pretended to dance with her. When the scene was done, she was relieved.

She was treated to one more scene when Rhynne acted out the competition of the stepsisters to fit the glass slipper. Somehow, Syrowe actually managed to find a glass slipper in the room behind the stage. Her turn came and Syrowe fitted the slipper perfectly on her foot. He beamed at her with genuine adoration and declared that he had found his princess. Finally, the play was finished with their wedding. The script indicated that the prince was supposed to kiss Cinderella, but Syrowe merely stood there and declared, 'The End'.

At this point, Airianne stood up and protested, "Nay, nay, nay! Ye must kiss the bride."

Shiro flushed in embarrassment. "Now...? In front of... all of ye...?"

"Aye." said Airianne firmly.

Shiro hesitantly placed his hands on Arturia's shoulders. He leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek but Arturia stopped his advance with her hand.

"Nay..." said Arturia softly.

He pulled away. He did not want Arturia to misunderstand his intentions. "I was going to kiss ye on the cheek. I apologize if I made ye feel uncomfortable."

"Apology accepted." replied Arturia curtly. She spoke to Airianne with a firm voice. "Mine apologies, Airianne, for a rather poor performance. Methinks that the journey hath taxed mine strength. I must ask thee to excuse me and let me retire for the night."

Airianne shook her head. "On the contrary, twas splendid! Much better than Mother's. Tis I who must apologize fer poor manners." She clapped her hands with great enthusiasm. "A wonderful play! Know ye that I hath enjoyed every scene. And ye wert amazing, Lady Rhynne!"

Rin bowed deeply. "Mine thanks. I am pleased that it was to yer liking."

"Well then, let me escort ye to yer rooms and bid ye good night."

They did just that and prepared for bed, except for Shiro who declared that he wanted to take a bath before going to bed. That night, they all slept well under the starry sky provided by the ceiling above.

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